Omaha philanthropist and business leader, Walter Scott Jr., and his late wife, Suzanne, were honored Saturday with the Margre and Chuck Durham Spirit of Nebraska Award at the Ambassador of Hope gala at the CenturyLink Center.
The award is given to an individual or group who has significantly impacted the fight against cancer in Nebraska. Previous recipients include the Dave and Liz Karnes and Bob and Mary Lueder families (2004), the Harlan Noddle family (2006), the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska (2008), Mike and Lin Simmonds (2010) and Mike and Gail Yanney (2012).
The Scotts were honored for their support of cancer research at UNMC and their philanthropy in the Omaha community and beyond. The Scotts were among the lead benefactors on the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center project. The 98-laboratory research tower, currently under construction, is named the Suzanne and Walter Scott Research Tower.
The cancer center, which is expected to be completed in 2017, also will include two other areas dedicated to cancer:
- a hospital with up to 108 beds (CL Werner Cancer Hospital); and
- a multidisciplinary outpatient center.
In all, the cancer center’s construction will cost $323 million, the largest project ever at the University of Nebraska.
“The Scotts have been leaders in making Omaha the great city that it is,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. “Their gift for the research tower is a perfect example of how they get behind projects that benefit the community.
“When finished, it will be a building brimming with innovative ideas for better treating cancer. It can truly make a difference in the health of people around the world.”
Walter Scott is former chairman of the board of Level 3 Communications, Inc., one of the world’s largest Internet provide (IP) transit communications networks. He also is chairman emeritus of Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc., one of North America’s largest construction and mining companies.
He received his civil engineering degree from Colorado State University in 1953. With the exception of service in the U.S. Air Force from 1954-1956, his entire career was with Kiewit. In 1964, he was elected a vice president of the company and was transferred to headquarters in Omaha to assume responsibility for construction operations east of the Mississippi River.
Elected to the Kiewit board in 1964, Scott was elected executive vice president in 1965 and given the additional responsibility of overseeing construction operations in the eastern provinces of Canada. He was elected president in 1979 and was named chairman when Peter Kiewit died later that same year. He served as chairman and CEO until 1998. At that time, the Level 3 subsidiary was spun off and he served as board chairman until 2014.
Scott currently serves on the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, Valmont Industries, and Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc.
Suzanne Scott died in 2013. Following graduation from the University of Nebraska in 1953, she taught elementary school for several years. She re-entered the workforce in 1967 as an entrepreneur, owning a gift shop. She later worked as a legal assistant in a law firm and as an executive assistant to the president of a restaurant chain, then the president of a real estate firm.
In early 1984, she was asked to serve as founding executive director of the Omaha Zoo Foundation. During her four years of leadership, the zoo’s endowment was established, funds were raised for special projects and the zoo’s annual membership campaign doubled in size.
Both the Scotts have been active in community affairs. Walter Scott is currently serving as chairman of the board of policy advisors for the Peter Kiewit Institute for Information Science, Technology and Engineering, Heritage Services, and the Omaha Zoological Society. On the national level, he is a director and former chairman of the Horatio Alger Association.
Suzanne Scott was a director of Joslyn Art Museum, the Omaha Zoological Society, and the Salvation Army. She also was a director and former board chair for United Way of the Midlands.
In 1990, the Scotts formed the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation to support projects and programs in five key areas: education, youth development, civic, human service and the arts. The Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation’s impact on philanthropy has been immeasurable, Dr. Cowan said, with more than $200 million in grants since its founding.
The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center — a distinction held by only 68 centers in the country. It is the only NCI-designated center in the state of Nebraska. The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is also one of the 13 founding members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers. This recognition means the most current and innovative treatment options are available to cancer center patients through the integration of cutting-edge research into state-of-the-art care. Cancer center physicians and scientists work together to quickly translate discoveries made in the laboratory into innovative treatments for the patient.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu and follow us on social media.