Scott, Linwood Harding (Sonny) Jr

Linwood Harding (Sonny) Scott, Jr. was born October 20, 1947 to Linwood and Myrtle Scott in Lucama in Wilson County. In 1966 he graduated from Lucama High School and shortly afterward served a tour of duty in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1968 he married the former Alice Honeycutt. In addition to his sons Linwood Harding Scott, III born in 1969 and Dewey Robert Scott born in 1971, he has two grandchildren Jena and Lindsey Scott.

After his service in the reserves Sonny returned to Lucama to begin farming full-time with his family. He quickly distinguished himself in agriculture by winning numerous awards. A former winner of the Wilson County Young Farmer of the Year award, he was the North Carolina Young Farmer of the Year in 1977, the 1979 Outstanding Young Flue-Cured Tobacco Farmer, and the 1981 Southern Flue-Cured Tobacco Festival Young Farmer of the Year. His reputation for excellence in farming has brought him into prominence in the agribusiness community. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Sweetpotatoe Commission from 1991-1999. He is past director of the Wilson County Young Farmers' Association and the North Carolina Corn Growers Association and has served on the community committee for the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service (forerunner to the Farm Service Agency).

Sonny has long been a leader in his community. He served on the Wilson County Planning Board from 1976 until 1991, and has served on the board of Centura Bank from 1983 until the present. He is also a member of the Marsh Swamp Free Will Baptist Church.
When farming operations allow Sonny enjoys many different sports- basketball, baseball, and automobile racing. He coached his sons' ball teams for years. He has also sponsored and coached men's softball. In fact his Scott Farms softball team won the 1992 World Championship.

Together, the Scotts raise a wide variety of crops including tobacco, sweetpotatoes, corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton. Sonny has passed on the family's farming heritage to Linwood and Dewey Scott who have continued an outstanding tradition. Indeed, his first love is working the family farm with his sons.

This page given to Mr. Scott by the Tobacco Farm Life Museum at the Excellence in Agriculture Dinner on November 30, 2000 honoring his outstanding contributions to our agribusiness community.