FAMU graduate U.S. Rep. David Scott of Georgia, a soft-spoken political trailblazer who rose from the segregationist South to become the first Black chairman of the powerful House Agriculture Committee, died on Wednesday. He was 80.
His death was announced by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who mourned the passing of a respected colleague and a symbol of quiet, persistent progress. The cause was not immediately disclosed, but colleagues had expressed growing concern about his health in recent years.
First elected in 2002, Scott, a Democrat, served for more than two decades representing a district spanning the western suburbs of Atlanta and rural stretches toward the Alabama border. His defining moment came in 2021, when he gaveled in as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, a panel with vast influence over the nation’s farm policy, nutrition programs, and rural economy—a realm historically dominated by white lawmakers from the Midwest and Plains.
“David Scott was a trailblazer who served the district that he served admirably,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters at the Capitol. “[He] rose up from humble beginnings to become the first African American ever to chair the House Ag Committee. He cared about the people that he represented. He was fiercely committed to getting things done for the people of the great state of Georgia. And he’ll be deeply missed.”
A native of Daytona, FL, Scott earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre with honors from FAMU in 1967 and later became the third African-American to receive an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with honors in 1969.
His tenure as chairman, though brief, was consequential. He presided over the committee during the tumultuous post-pandemic period and worked on the early stages of what would become the 2023 Farm Bill, advocating for stronger safety nets for small and minority farmers and protecting nutrition assistance programs.
“He was a strong voice for Georgia’s farmers, hungry veterans and young people,” said Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who succeeded Scott as the top Democrat on the committee in 2025.
Scott is survived by his wife, Alfredia, their two children, and several grandchildren. Arrangements for services were not immediately announced.