Barbara Alma Scott Preiskel (1924–2002)

Barbara Alma Scott Preiskel—whom so many affectionately knew as “Scottie”—was born on July 6, 1924, in Washington, D.C. She was the only child of a real estate entrepreneur father and a chemistry teacher mother, and she grew up surrounded by high expectations of achievement and service. From the beginning, she shone. She attended Dunbar High School, one of D.C.’s most respected schools, before heading north to Wellesley College. She pledged the Epsilon chapter in 1944. She earned her B.A. in 1945, and only two years later, she made history as the second Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School.

Her legal career began with a prestigious clerkship under Judge Charles Wyzanski of the U.S. District Court in Boston, followed by practice at the law firm Dwight, Royal, Harris, Keogh & Casey. In 1959, she joined the Motion Picture Association of America, where her brilliance and dedication carried her to the very top. By 1977, she had become Senior Vice President and General Counsel—the MPAA’s highest-ranking lawyer. In that role, she worked to overturn discriminatory censorship laws, especially those targeting depictions of interracial relationships on screen. Jack Valenti, the MPAA’s longtime president, once said of her, “There was no finer lawyer… in whom to repose my trust.”

Barbara’s influence extended far beyond film. She broke barrier after barrier in corporate leadership, serving on the boards of American Stores Company, General Electric, Textron Inc., Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, R.H. Macy & Co., Levi Strauss & Co., and, notably, The Washington Post Company, where she became the first African American board member. She was among the earliest Black women to hold such positions of authority in corporate America.

She gave just as much energy to philanthropy and civic engagement. In 1958, she joined the board of the Wiltwyck School for Boys, later becoming its chair. Over the years she served Wellesley, Yale, Tougaloo College, the Ford Foundation, the American Museum of the Moving Image, the New York Philharmonic, the ACLU, and The New York Community Trust, where she chaired the Distribution Committee from 1990 to 1995. She even traveled to South Africa in the 1980s to advocate for an imprisoned anti-apartheid activist—a testament to her commitment to justice everywhere.

Her contributions were recognized widely: Wellesley’s Alumnae Achievement Award (1975), the Catalyst Award (1979), YWCA honors (1984, 1985), and the AWED Award (1985), among many others.

At the heart of all this achievement was her family. She married Robert H. Preiskel in 1946, and the two shared 52 years of marriage until her passing. Together they raised two sons, Richard and John, and delighted in the joy of a grandson, Malakai. Barbara was never only about work—she loved dancing, cooking, entertaining, poker nights, wine, travel, and especially time with family on the beaches of East Hampton. Friends remember her Greek Isles sailboat trip and her infectious zest for life. Even when facing leukemia, she never lost her sparkle. Told she had only a 20% chance of survival, she joked, “I’ve always been in the upper 20%, so I’m confident I’ll make it.”

Barbara passed away on June 4, 2002, in Manhattan, at the age of 77. In her memory, The Barbara S. Preiskel Memorial Fund was created within The New York Community Trust, ensuring her generosity and vision live on.

Her story is one of courage, brilliance, and joy. Barbara Alma Scott Preiskel opened doors that had been closed to women like her, and she left them wide for others to walk through. The institutions she touched still carry her mark, and the people who knew her carry her light.

Bobbie Beatrix Scott