Janis Scott ’74, a Rice University alumna and long-standing pillar of the Houston community, passed away Dec. 9 at the age of 73.
A passionate advocate for public transit, Scott was widely known around the city as the “bus lady,” riding the bus her entire life. She spent years fighting for public transit, particularly in underserved communities.
Scott was a founding board member of the transportation advocacy group LINK Houston, which advocates for a robust and equitable transportation network so that all people can reach opportunity. She was recognized for her efforts in 2016 with the Outstanding Achievement in Civic and Community Service award at Rice’s Blueprint for Excellence Gala.
“She knew almost every Metro employee as well as board members and senior staff, through many administrations, with whom she communicated regularly,” Metro Interim CEO Tom Jasien told the Houston Chronicle. “She always wanted to make sure things at Metro were going well and advocated for the agency to make improvements to our service. She was part of the Metro family and will be truly missed.”
Scott was among Rice’s first Black graduates. As a Jones College associate, she was a popular fixture at Rice events, regularly networking and engaging with Rice students, faculty and alumni.
“Janis was a committed associate of Jones College, and she supported and encouraged many students who are now Jones alumni,” said Jan West, assistant director of multicultural community relations in Public Affairs and 1973 graduate of Rice. “If there were an award given for the alum that attended the most number of events at Rice, it truly could have been Janis.
“She was very active on campus, and she will be dearly missed.”
“I would see Janis at events at Rice and across the community,” said Christof Spieler, former Metro board member and senior lecturer at Rice’s School of Architecture.
She always got there by bus, he said.
“She cared about her fellow riders and about the people who worked at Metro,” he said. “She made it her mission to make the transit system better. And because she was observant and had good ideas, she did.”
Services for Scott are pending.