The University of Iowa Eight Over 80 Award
Bill Scott 59BA, 62MS, 64MD, 70R
Playing football and basketball for the Hawkeyes as a Kinnick Scholar, Bill E. Scott understood that college is first and foremost about education. He earned four degrees at the University of Iowa and became one of its most valued ophthalmology instructors, researchers, and mentors and a valued leader in children’s eye care.
Scott’s contributions to clinical research and patient care are considered legendary by some. From 1971 to 2002, he trained 55 fellows in pediatric ophthalmology and mentored many young ophthalmologists. Scott has been named one of the best ophthalmologists in the United States and has received industry honors, including the Iowa Medical Society’s 2015 Physician Community Service Award.
Following three decades as a professor and vice chair of the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Scott leveraged his expertise to improve vision care in Iowa. He founded Iowa KidSight, which recently celebrated more than 25 years of free childhood vision screenings. As its medical director, Scott has facilitated screenings of more than 800,000 children and helped families realize the importance of early vision care.
As an Iowa student-athlete, Scott played in the 1957 and 1959 Rose Bowl games. Both games ended with Hawkeye victories, and the latter prompted the Football Writers Association of America to name Iowa its national champion. To share his unforgettable experience with future Hawkeyes, he and his family generously established the Scott Family Football Scholarship.
On the UI medical campus, he has been honored with the William E. Scott Educational Chair in Pediatric Ophthalmology that will benefit the field for years to come.