It is with heavy hearts that we share the extremely sad and difficult news that Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FNAP, FAAN, Immediate Past President of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy) passed away last night. This devastating news comes to us and many Fellows as a shock. It was only a month ago when we saw Linda regally preside over her last meeting as Academy President. Dr. Scott was an incredible thought leader in the profession who used her wisdom and experience to guide this organization through immense change, for which we know we will see transformational impact decades to come. We are profoundly honored that she served as the 30th President of the Academy.

During her Presidency, Dr. Scott embodied collaboration by engaging the Academy’s Board of Directors (Board), Fellowship, and partners across the health care industry to coalesce around our vision of healthy lives for all people. She valued the influence of the nursing profession and championed our Academy voice in all of her actions. She led with integrity, grace, intelligence, and charm. Her humor and wit only added to her greatness. 

A prominent nurse scientist, Dr. Scott knew well the importance of the Academy’s purpose - to advance health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Linda was steadfast in her support for nursing science and its immeasurable impact. With the Board’s support and insight, the Academy boldly launched the organization’s SAVE, Science Adds Value for Everyone, campaign and worked across all scientific disciplines to champion research and innovation. Always looking to the horizon, Dr. Scott recognized the Academy needed to evolve and restructure its policy work to be more strategic, proactive, collaborative, and nimble in a changing policy environment and rapidly evolving health care system. At the same time, she knew that the Academy must be responsive and the organization engaged in a record number of policy actions during her presidency. 

Dr. Scott was a deeply caring, thoughtful, and pragmatic visionary. Most memorably, Linda, our dear friend and colleague, was an extraordinary human being. She radiated warmth and gave generously her time and proudly showed her passion. We honor her life and remarkable legacy. We are so grateful to have known her and to have learned from her. 

We recognize that many of you are feeling this tremendous loss as well. The Board will be working to determine how best to honor her legacy as we know so many of you will want to pay tribute to her. We are in close communication with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing and at this time want to honor the privacy of Dr. Scott’s family. In grief, we must lean on one and other, our FAAN community as we process this sudden and heartbreaking news. Dr. Scott greatly appreciated the wisdom of Maya Angelou. We hope that you will find solace in the poem When Great Trees Fall, which is included below. And we quote, “They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.”