PCC Renames Landmark Building for Former President / Superintendent Dr. Jack Scott

Honoring his eight years of leadership as President of Pasadena City College from 1987 to 1995, The Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees renamed the PCC Administration building for Dr. Jack Scott in a dedication ceremony Thursday.

A humble Scott, who was introduced by Bobbi Abram, PCC Foundation Executive Director, told the crowd of more than 100 faculty members, elected officials, friends and family, “I’m under no illusion that I’m a self-made man. I owe a lot to many others, beginning with my wonderful parents in Sweetwater, Texas. I think of those here at Pasadena City College, the present administration and trustees and students and faculty. And then I think of the past.” 

Scott continued, looking out at the audience.

“There are some of you in this audience who served with me when I was here from 1987 to 1995, and I thank you for coming out today. I am very thankful for those of you who were with me in the legislature.” 

Scott said he was particularly pleased that his former chief of staff from his time in the legislature, Gail Evans,  was present as well as former staff member Teresa Acosta, now a City Council member from Carlsbad. He also pointed out Fred Register, his original campaign manager during races for the California Assembly and Senate seatz he held.

During Dr. Scott’s tenure at PCC he oversaw the construction of five new campus buildings including the Shatford library. He was married to his wife Lacreta Isbell Scott for 66 years until her death in 2021.

They raised five children together. During Dr. Scott’s time as president, his son Adam was fatally shot. Today a tree and plaque stand near the mirror pool outside the building that now bears his name.

Following his time at PCC, Dr. Scott was elected to the California State Assembly and served from 1996 to 2000,  and then served in the California State Senate from 2000 to 2008. He was particularly effective in emphasizing education and gun control while in the legislature.

He went on to serve as the chancellor of the California Community Colleges from 2008 to 2012 until his retirement when he and Lacreta made their home once again in Pasadena.

Dr. Scott joined the PCC Foundation Board of Directors in 2015 and became the chair of the Foundation’s first major gift campaign, which eventually raised over $16 million. 

In 2022, he once again led a successful campaign for a bond issue of $565 million to complete improvements and additions to the college.

Scott was raised in Sweetwater Texas, and received a bachelor’s degree from Abilene, Christian University, along with a master of divinity degree from Yale University, and a PhD in American history from Claremont graduate university.

Never having attended or taught in a community college, he nonetheless became their champion throughout his career. 

As he said Thursday, “The community colleges are the Statue of Liberty for people in higher education, and I could say something like that. “Give me your students who, because of the high standards in both C S U and UC might not be able to get in, they can come to us.” 

Scott continued, “We are open to the mother who perhaps is a single mother,  and suddenly is faced with the need to earn money, and enrolls in one of our career educational programs like nursing. We’re open to the person who happens to need an additional course, even with a bachelor’s degree, but now needs more training in computers. 

“We’re open to the recent immigrant who needs to take our English as a Second Language class,” he said. 

“The reality,” said Dr. Scott, “is that it is the most egalitarian, the most democratic of all of our institutions in higher education. And so when I wanted to be inspired, all I had to do was get up from my desk as a president, and walk out on that quad and see those students and realize that some of them were the first ones in their family to attend college.”