Ruth and Bill Scott
Ruth and Bill Scott are deeply rooted and invested in the community where they have lived for 55 years and the state they call home.
The Scotts’ support of the Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health will benefit Nebraskans across the state. The new facility brings together faculty, students and the community to find new answers to critical public health issues and inspire healthier living through prevention and health promotion.
“More and more Nebraskans are facing serious health concerns,” said Ruth Scott. “Diabetes and childhood obesity are among the health issues affecting a staggering number of adults and children. Fortunately, UNMC’s College of Public Health has the expertise and vision to effectively address these issues. Bill and I are pleased to support UNMC’s efforts to improve health in our community, state and region.”
This gift is one example of the Scotts’ extraordinary support of the University of Nebraska and particularly UNMC. Their commitment to the Medical Center’s vision of becoming a world-class academic health science center has stimulated UNMC’s continued growth. This success is evident by the recent ranking of UNMC among the country’s top medical centers by the 2011 US News & World Report.
The Scotts’ generosity has benefited key UNMC priorities in education, research and patient care. Most recently, the Scotts supported three major projects at UNMC: a Student Plaza including an architectural feature by world-renowned architect and artist James Carpenter; the Center for Nursing Science; and the Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health.
Additionally, the Scotts provided the lead gift to the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education. They also joined other principal benefactors in supporting the Durham Research Center and Durham Research Center II and inspired the establishment of the Nebraska Arthritis Outcomes Research Center at UNMC.
In 2009 the University of Nebraska Board of Regents presented Ruth and Bill Scott with its most prestigious award, the Regents Medal, for their extraordinary contributions to the University’s academic programs, scholarships and facilities.
Bill Scott is a 1953 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Administration. The Ashland, Neb., native joined Buffett Partnership in 1959 and Berkshire Hathaway in 1970 where he remained until the early 1990s.
Ruth Scott, also a native of Ashland, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1951. She went on to teach school and later founded the Omaha Bridge Studio where she teaches “the game everyone should play.”
UNMC and the University of Nebraska Foundation gratefully acknowledge the Scotts and their extraordinary commitment to the health and well-being of all Nebraskans.