By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Charles Scott’s decision to move with his wife to her hometown of Galveston many decades ago is one the Ball High School community is grateful he made. Scott began his career as a teacher in Michigan, then moved to Galveston and continued teaching at Central High School.
In 1967, when Ball High School began racial integration, Scott was one of the first Black teachers to be part of the transition. His career in Galveston Independent School District (GISD) lasted 28 years, during which he served as a teacher, counselor, tutor, coach, mentor and civic leader.
Charles was not the only educator in the family. His wife, Grace Scott, was also a beloved Galveston educator who worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.
GISD was so impressed with the family’s dedication and spirit of service to education that it named an elementary school after Charles Scott. That building was torn down so the new Ball High School could be built.
“I used to come to the Scott building for summer programs,” said Maison, a freshman at Ball High School. “I was sad to know it was torn down. But I was excited when I learned it would be a school.”
The question remained: How would the Scott family legacy live on? The answer came with the creation of the Scott Family Tor Legacy Center.
The center is a collection of Ball High School memorabilia and records, from the school’s earliest days to the present, that visitors can view as soon as they step inside the building.
The opening of the center was celebrated last week, and the Scott family was represented by their four children. The three daughters followed in their parents’ footsteps as educators, with careers that led them into leadership roles. Their son, Todd Scott, went on to play professional football.
Not only were the Scott children in attendance, but their Aunt Constance also came from Detroit, Michigan, to be part of the evening. Scott grandchildren, spouses and other family members came out to witness the Scott family name continuing on as that of a family who made a difference in the lives of Galveston’s students.
One highlight of the legacy center is the digital collection of the school’s yearbooks, which visitors can easily access. Former students enjoyed pulling up their own yearbooks on the wall and reminiscing about the photos and people.
One of Todd Scott’s sons, a graduate of Manvel High School, expressed his wish that his school would one day have a legacy center with digital yearbook access.
David O’Neal, a school board member and Ball High School alum, shared that the Scott Family Tor Legacy Center will go on in perpetuity.
