The Life of Jack Mott
Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Image by Ryan McGill
On a balmy summer evening in 1946, the streets of Jasper were filled with teens living up the last days of their summer vacations before returning to school. The local dance hall was brimming with cheers as the patrons' eyes were fixed on the dance floor. Two couples remained in the night's swing dancing competition: couple number one, a young lady paired with Jasper native George Lindsey (yes, that George Lindsey); and couple number two, a young woman paired with Cordova's Jack Mott (yes, that Jack Mott). The jaunty tune circulating through the room ended, silence fell over the room, and the anticipation broke as the emcee awarded the winning title to couple number two.
Jack was only 17 when his jitterbug victory occurred, but it's a story he would gladly tell for the rest of his life. Those near and dear to him say it is the perfect example of who he was—loving, spirited, and always carrying an undying zest for life's simple joys. Those loved ones will also tell you that, although he had a good time wherever he found himself, Jack Mott was also a meticulous, refined man who believed in hard work.
“He came from a very poor upbringing,” says Jack’s son, Randy. “He grew up through the Depression era and saw firsthand what struggle meant. I think that’s what pushed him to be the hard worker he was and to pursue an education as a means to better himself.”
Jack began his education in 1950 at Livingston University, but military service interrupted his schooling. He decided to serve in the Army for the benefits offered by the G.I. Bill, noting that his service would help offset the costs of his education and alleviate some of the financial burdens on his family. After three years of service in the Korean War, he was discharged and returned to Livingston to complete his bachelor’s degree. Following a year of teaching in the Jefferson County School system, Jack was offered a job teaching business courses at Walker College.
While some might change workplaces a handful of times in their lives, Walker College is where Jack remained until his retirement in 1995. Over his 39-year tenure at the school, he served in numerous roles, including Department Head and Instructor of Business Education, Business Manager, Vice President of Administration, and President. In all those roles, however, Jack consistently took the time to do something he considered of utmost importance—helping students find financial aid for their continued studies at Walker College.
“No deserving student ever walked away from his office without some form of financial help,” says Jack’s daughter-in-law, Penne. “Whether it was scholarships, work-study programs, grants, or loans, Jack was dedicated to helping students find the financial means to get an education.”
A 1984 article published in The Daily Mountain Eagle quoted Jack as saying, “It is a true joy to find financial help for a youngster who might otherwise be unable to continue higher education, but the real reward is to see them years later as a professional. I take a continuing interest in our students, and I like to think that I had a small part to play in their successes.”
During his lifetime and in the five years since his passing, Jack’s family has found that the students he helped all agree he played an integral part in their journeys.
“So often I will be stopped by people in public. Sometimes I know them, sometimes I don’t, but they always say pretty much the same thing— something along the lines of ‘If it weren’t for your dad helping me get a $1,000 scholarship in 1960-something, I would’ve never been able to continue my education,’” Randy says. “A lot of success stories came from my father’s appreciation for education and seeing it as a path to a better life, and that’s a blessing.”
Jack’s life work and legacy of helping students find financial aid lives on today through the Walker College Foundation’s Dr. Jack L. Mott Endowed Scholarship Fund. The stories of his successes, his love for Walker College, and his jitterbug victories, all live on through those he loved. 78