Walker Society Spotlight — Norwood Scott ’85

Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Norwood’s earliest memory of Woodberry was in second grade at St. Christopher's when the varsity football team bus pulled in to play the Saints on their home field. As a seventh grader, he was invited to a Woodberry admission event with classmates Giles Tucker and Lee Hatcher where they watched a video about the school. Norwood saw all that the Woodberry campus had to offer, and he was sold.

Attending WFS summer school before his third form year, Norwood fondly remembers his first encounter with headmaster Emmett Wright. Mr. Wright asked him what he wanted to get from his upcoming Woodberry experience, and Norwood responded, “I want to have fun.” “Son, fun is only the icing on the cake at Woodberry,” pronounced headmaster Emmett Wright in his distinct Southern drawl. Norwood did not know he was speaking with the current school headmaster, but he learned quickly when he arrived that fall and found out he was in Mr. Wright's advisory group.

“Woodberry challenged and motivated me in many ways," Norwood reflects. “I always used consultation periods, and the three-a-day wrestling practices with Coach Glover taught me perseverance and determination. I can see the quote on the wall in the wrestling room now: Fear none, respect all.” Norwood’s participation in the Woodberry in Spain program opened his eyes to the world. Bob Vasquez led that trip, and since that excursion, Norwood has filled five passports and flown over two million miles.

Today, Norwood is retired from the Environmental Protection Agency and is trying to complete his wife’s honey-do list. He and his wife Th?o live in Richmond, where Norwood enjoys serving on the Woodberry Regional Association board, paddling, fishing, hunting, hiking, and skiing.

Woodberry has been instrumental in shaping Norwood’s development, and he is mindful of giving others the same opportunity. “I included Woodberry in my estate planning with a bequest in my will so others can have what I received. I learned the importance of altruism through the actions of the faculty, and they taught me responsibility and to think creatively. My hope for Woodberry now and in the future is that the school continues to have the most loyal alumni base in the country, we lead the way in giving back to our school, we continue to be strong in athletics, and we send our graduates to the best colleges. I am grateful to leave a lasting legacy at Woodberry with a planned gift.”