Walter Scott, Jr.
Founder and guiding force.
Walter Scott, Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1931. He graduated from Omaha Benson High School in 1949 and went on to earn a degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University. It was during his college years that he married his high‑school sweetheart, Carolyn Falk, in 1952. They would later raise four children together.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, Walter returned home to work at the construction company Peter Kiewit Sons’, Co. (now Kiewit). Peter mentored Walter, helping to instill in him the philosophy that charitable investments should be chosen based on the impact they make on both people and communities. Upon Peter’s death, he named Walter as the next president of the company. Walter would go on to serve as both Chairman and CEO until 1998.
After Carolyn’s passing in 1983, Walter married educator and community leader Suzanne Singer in 1987, whose interest in nonprofits and civic life helped reinforce Walter’s ongoing legacy of philanthropy. By 1990, he and Suzanne had co‑founded the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation to formalize their giving. He later established the Walter Scott Family Foundation in 2014 to further their long‑term philanthropic vision.
During his lifetime, Walter impacted countless individuals through his leadership at organizations across the city, as well as his generous contributions to the Scott Scholars program, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and many more. Walter passed away on September 25, 2021, at age 90.
Do what’s right, not what’s easy
Carolyn Jane Scott (née Falk)
An early partner in purpose.
Carolyn Scott, Walter’s first wife, was born on February 28, 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. She and Walter met at Benson High School and continued their relationship when each attended college in Colorado. They married in Omaha in 1952. Carolyn earned a B.A. in English and later dedicated herself to raising the couple’s four children — Karen, Sandra, Amy and David — all of whom would go on to create impactful foundations of their own.
As a dedicated community volunteer and philanthropist, Carolyn served on the board of Clarkson Hospital and supported a number of Omaha-based philanthropic causes. Her passion for helping others deeply influenced Walter’s early views on giving. One project especially close to her heart was the need for a facility where families facing the emotional and financial stress of a child’s illness could stay. Carolyn led the effort to bring that vision to life, even as she battled cancer in the final months of her own life. Just four months before her passing on September 7, 1983, the Carolyn Scott Rainbow House welcomed its first family.
The excellent medical care she received during her cancer treatment inspired the creation of the Carolyn Scott Scholars Program, a scholarship for nursing students attending Nebraska Methodist College. Known for her humility, warmth and unwavering connection to community, Carolyn’s legacy continues to shape the Foundation’s focus on relationships and long-term commitment.
Suzanne Scott (née Marshall Singer)
Namesake and co-founder.
Suzanne Scott was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 14, 1930. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earning a degree in education. After nine years of teaching elementary school, she took a career break to raise her two sons, Bill and Bob Singer, and later launched a boutique gift shop in Omaha’s Bel Air Plaza. She went on to hold the role of executive assistant at several prominent organizations, before becoming the Founding Executive Director of the Omaha Zoo Foundation in 1984.
Upon her marriage to Walter in 1987, Suzanne resigned her position with the zoo, but continued to assist in a volunteer and philanthropic capacity. Together, the couple formally launched the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation in 1990. This new Foundation was based on their belief in strategic giving and community stewardship. Those closest to her often said that “Sue made giving fun,” a testament to the joy, energy and heart she brought to she and Walter’s shared philanthropy.
Suzanne passed away on September 9, 2013, at the age of 83. Today, four attractions at the zoo still bear her name or likeness: Sue’s Carousel, the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, the Scott African Grasslands and the Scott Alaskan Adventure Splash Park, which features a bronze statue of Suzanne and Walter.
Sue was an intelligent and energetic philanthropist, willing to provide an all-out effort for any project beneficial to Omaha or Nebraska.
Our history.
The Foundation’s areas of focus today — on education, leadership and community — is a direct extension of the work Walter, Carolyn and Suzanne championed. What began as a family commitment to giving back has grown into a long-term investment in people and progress that spans several generations of philanthropists and multiple family foundations.
