Necrology

Betsy Sue Mackta Scott K'72

Jul. 3, 1951-Sep. 25, 2022

Betsy Sue Mackta Scott K’72, P’13 died on Sept. 25, 2022, in Great Falls, Va. Born on July 3, 1951, in Chicago, she grew up in Belle Harbor, Queens, N.Y., and came to Hamilton from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Friends School. A member of Kirkland College’s charter class, she majored in political science and French literature and spent her final year as a guest senior at Barnard College of Columbia University.

Following graduation, Betsy worked as a paralegal before entering the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Homewood, Ala. Completing her legal studies in 1976, she returned to New York City and worked in the trust department of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. She later relocated to Alexandria, Va., where she handled the same responsibilities at First Virginia Bank, before she went into private practice.

On April 25, 1981, she married Thomas Jefferson Scott, Jr., in Alexandria. They had two daughters and a son.

For much of her career, Betsy was in government service. She started in the Department of Labor and advocated for the rights of union pension fund beneficiaries. From there, she moved to the Department of the Treasury’s Department of Foreign Assets Control, heading its Civil Penalties Division and acting as a sanctions advisor for numerous agencies. Among her important accomplishments was helping to formulate the penalties imposed on Saddam Hussein’s regime following his invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

After more than 20 years in government service, Betsy returned to private practice in 2006, specializing in estates, trusts, and issues concerning mental health. She was certified as guardian ad litem, a court-appointed attorney to represent those who are either mentally or physically incapacitated, and also served as a special justice in civil commitment cases in Loudon County, Va.

During this period, Betsy joined the Virginia Women’s Attorneys Association (VWAA), a professional organization that supports women in their practice and in bringing about changes in the law and public policy for the benefit of the women. She was the organization’s secretary (2013-14), president-elect (2014-15), and president (2015-16). Thereafter, she remained a member of its board of directors and chaired its membership committee for a number of years.

While serving as president of the VWAA, Betsy was one of the original incorporators of the Dames Foundation, whose mission is “to expand, through philanthropy, the professional development, public policy, and educational work” of the VWAA. At the time of her death, she was the foundation’s vice president, registered agent, and a member of its board of directors.

As important as her contributions as an attorney and advocate for women in the profession were, there was more to Betsy Scott. For one thing, she was a “Deadhead,” as die-hard fans of The Grateful Dead are known. She also owned and preserved a 1972 green AMC Matador, nicknamed “Jiminy” for the famous Disney cricket, which she regularly drove in annual Fourth of July parades. She also was devoted to rescuing animals and adopted numerous dogs during her lifetime.

Betsy was a steadfast alumna of Kirkland College. She was a member of her class committee, the alumni recruitment team, and the planned giving committee, and was a top prospect volunteer. In 1994, to honor her father’s memory, she and her husband established the Leo Mackta Prize, awarded to a student who has excelled in applied physics. Although Dr. Mackta’s profession was dentistry, he had an amateur’s interest in physics, which the prize commemorates.

Betsy Mackta Scott is survived by her husband, two daughters, including Marghuerita Taylor Scott ’13, and one son.

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