Michael Scott, 60, President of Chicago Board of Education, Commits Suicide, Body Found in Chicago River

The body of a man, believed to be Michael Scott, president of the Chicago Board of Education, was found in the Chicago River, near Merchandise Mart this morning. According to the Chicago Tribune, a blue Cadillac registered to Scott was found parked next to a trash bin yards away from the river. The Cook County medical examiner's office has not yet positively identified the body. Scott's family was concerned about his whereabouts and contacted police Sunday, saying that he was missing. He reportedly committed suicide and a gun was found near the body.

A member of Scott's family said he had visited his sister at a South Loop care facility on Sunday and was last seen about 6 p.m. The relative said he visited his sister regularly on Sundays and described him as a creature of habit. Police were called to the Chicago Apparel Center at 350 N. Orleans in the River North neighborhood about 3:15 a.m. and found the man in the water behind the building, off Kinzie, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro. Source: Chicago Tribune

The news is very tragic. This man was a pillar in Chicago civic life for many years. He had been board president for five years until July 2006, when then-board member Rufus Williams was appointed at his recommendation. His reappointment in February came about a month after Ron Huberman replaced former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, now the U.S. education secretary.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Scott, 60, served in public posts under Mayors Jane Byrne, Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer and Daley, who also has appointed him Park District board president and a member on the boards of the RTA and Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority. It is a sad turn of events for Chicago.

UPDATE#1: Mr. Scott was Mayor's Daley's go-to guy for a long time. According to MyFoxChicago, during the summer Scott told the Chicago Sun Times that he had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating how students were selected for the system's elite selective-enrollment high schools. He said he did nothing wrong.


Chicago residents grew angry when Daley appointed Scott to serve a second term as school board president. Scott had recommended that sports agent Rufus Williams succeed him, but Williams resigned under pressure and Daley re-appointed Scott to head the school board and oversee the city's public schools. I am sure that the reason Mr. Scott killed himself will be revealed shortly.