Jack Scott

William John Scott (9 September 1916 – 30 October 2001), known as Jack Scott, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography Early life and career Scott was born in 1916 at Te Awamutu. He was known as Jack Scott. His great-grandfather, a Scot, had moved his family to New Zealand from Canada in 1865. He received his education at Kawhia and Paterangi primary schools, then Mount Albert Grammar School before he became a farmer. On leaving school, he purchased a partly-developed plot of land at Hobsonville on which he ran sheep and beef cattle.

Political career

In 1954 Scott was chairman of National's Rodney electorate committee when Clifton Webb was appointed to the job of high commissioner to the United Kingdom. In search of a suitable replacement candidate Scott toured the electorate to find a successor with little success. He even went as far as to personally appeal to Prime Minister Sidney Holland to delay Webb's appointment to London until after the election. Holland demurred and eventually Scott was persuaded to run. After reluctantly putting his name forward he beat 10 other nominees for the party nomination.

Scott died in Hastings on 30 October 2001, aged 85. He frequently pondered over writing his memoirs, and after many years equivocating had promised friends he had set aside time to do so, but died just a week before he was set to commence.