No: 95
Date: 3/1/2004
Name: Walter and Suzanne Scott
The Scotts are well-known Omaha philanthropists whose imprint is seen on many of the city’s buildings and programs. They have a special interest in educational charities and have been very involved in the Peter Kiewit Institute. Their foundation awards numerous engineering and information science scholarships each year. Walter Scott has served for many years as chairman of the Omaha Zoological Society. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium is named in their honor. Both serve as trustees of Joslyn Art Museum. He is a former chairman of the museum. Scott is chairman of Level 3 Communications. The corporation is one of the firms created by the 1998 separation of the two operating divisions of Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. Scott served as chairman and CEO of Kiewit for 19 years. He was first elected to the Kiewit board in 1964 and in 1979, he was elected president. When Peter Kiewit died later that year, Scott was selected to succeed him as chairman; he is now chairman emeritus. Walter Scott serves as director of Berkshire Hathaway, Burlington Resources, RCN Corp., Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., Valmont Industries and Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. He is a director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation and the Omaha Development Foundation. He holds a national position as president of the Horatio Alger Association. Suzanne Scott served as executive director of the Omaha Zoological Foundation from 1984 to 1988, developing the zoo’s endowment. She volunteers her time and expertise to numerous organizations and agencies and serves on the board and executive committee of the United Way of the Midlands and on the Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees. She is a director and former chair of the Bellevue University board of directors. The distinguished lineup of roasters included U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne of Nebraska; Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway; David Sokol, chairman and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., and retired Hershey Pasta and Grocery Group vice chairman, C. Mickey Skinner. Ken Stinson, chairman and CEO of Peter Kiewit and Sons’ Inc., served as the event’s emcee. The roasters teased the Scotts about their large new home and their early-to-bed habit. “We’d better get started so we’re spared seeing Walter change into his pajamas,” quipped Stinson to almost 200 guests who gave the Scotts two standing ovations. Buffett, known as the world’s second richest man, claimed that until he saw the Scotts opulent new home, he had felt pretty good about himself: “My mortgage was paid off. A while back, we got a second car. And I started collecting Social Security.”