Mary Elizabeth Waits Scott Williams Papers

Mary Elizabeth Waits Scott Williams was the daughter of Dr. Edward McShane Waits, president of TCU from 1916-1941. During that time she served as Dr. Waits’ hostess at University functions. She received her B.A. in English from TCU in 1921 and her M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1927. Later, she married Dr. Gayle Scott, geology and biology professor, for whom the Winton-Scott Hall of Science was named.

Following Dr. Scott’s death in 1948, she accepted Dr. Sadler’s offer to develop a faculty social program and teach English at TCU. When she married Dr. Cecil Williams in 1961, she gave up her work in the English Department but continued as faculty social director until her retirement in August, 1963.

She was a member of the Woman’s Wednesday Club, a prominent Fort Worth study club and the Fort Worth Woman’s Club. She was active in the University Christian Church, Lecture Foundation, the Round Table, TCU Women Exes, and Kappa Delta. She was presented a special award by the TCU Alumni Association in 1972 for her long, distinguished service to her alma mater. She was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by TCU in May, 1974.

Considered TCU’s “first lady” from her father’s 1916 inauguration until his retirement in 1941, Mary presented the library with a collection of more than 1,500 volumes of English materials from Dr. Williams’ personal library in 1967. A poetry contest in TCU’s annual creative writing competition in named in her honor, and the TCU Women Exes of Fort Worth established the Gayle and Mary Beth Scott Scholarship to provide financial assistance to a worthy Fort Worth student. She died June 15, 1978.