William Lawrence Scott (July 2, 1828 – September 19, 1891) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, a prominent railroad executive, as well as a prominent horse breeder and horse racer.
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Early life
William Lawrence Scott was born on July 2, 1828, in Washington, D.C., to Mary Ann Lewis (died 1879) and Colonel Robert Scott (U.S. Army) (1798–1835), of Virginia, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, who was detailed to the nation's capital at the time of his son's birth. Scott's Father died when he was only about seven years old. His elder brother, Robert Wainright Scott (1827–1866), was educated at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, served with distinction in the U.S. Civil War, and died while commander of the USS Saginaw at Acapulco, Mexico, on January 5, 1866.
His paternal grandfather was Gustavus Scott (1753–1800), a colonial lawyer and public official from Maryland who was appointed by President Washington the first Commissioner of Public Buildings for the City of Washington. His maternal grandfather was Col. Henry Lewis of Virginia, a Judge.