Early Life and Career
Scott Lucas was born on a tenant farm near Chandlerville, in Cass County, Illinois. He was the youngest of six children of William Douglas and Sarah Catherine (née Underbrink) Lucas. His parents named him after Scott Wike, a Democrat who served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois (1875–1877, 1889–1893). After attending public schools, he began his studies at Illinois Wesleyan University. During college, he was active in athletics; he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and played semiprofessional baseball in the Three-I League during his summer breaks.
Lucas graduated from Wesleyan with a law degree in 1914, and was admitted to the bar the following year. He served as a schoolteacher before entering private practice in Havana. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army and rose to become a lieutenant. Lucas returned to his law practice following his military service, and served as a state's attorney for Mason County from 1920 to 1925. He also worked as a commander of the Illinois Department of the American Legion. In 1932, he was defeated by William H. Dieterich for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican incumbent Otis F. Glenn for a United States Senate seat from Illinois. Lucas was later appointed chairman of State Tax Commission by Governor Henry Horner, serving from 1933 to 1935.
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