The world renowned stroke specialist Dr. Emmett Scott arrived in Springfield in January 1976 and was immediately thrust into many different aspects of health issues at Cedars Hospital. Along with Dr. Tim Ryan, a neurosurgeon, Dr. Scott found that the supposed migraines and the propensity for violence of Chad Richards were caused by an operable brain tumor. Unfortunately since, at the time, Cedars had none of the equipment to really do a successful operation on Chad, Richards, an aspiring folk singer guitar player, had to relocate to Los Angeles for treatment. A more successful case was to be had when Cedars' Nurse Rita Stapleton's mother, Viola, was brought from Bluefield, West Virginia after suffering a stroke. Dr. Scott was very successful in treating Viola Stapleton and in just six months Viola was walking and talking as though the stroke had never happened.

But, Dr. Scott's biggest worry wouldn't be at Cedars, but at home. In the Spring of 1976, Dr. Justin Marler, who was a protégé of Dr. Scott's from Chicago, came to town and started dating one of their colleagues, resident psychiatrist, Sara McIntyre. Dr. Scott was both happy and a little upset to see Justin, because he was the former husband of his daughter, Jacqueline "Jackie" Scott Marler. Justin and Jackie's divorce, back in the late 60's had been bitter. Dr. Scott, had originally had high hopes for the marriage because he was the one that had put Justin and Jackie together, unfortunately his former son-in-law and his daughter did not see eye-to-eye on cultural issues and wants and Justin developed a roaming eye and had an affair with Brandy Shelloe. Dr. Scott would be further upset when he saw Brandy hired as Justin's new secretary! Dr. Scott needed his daughter back in his life badly! Fortunately, he would get his wish when Jackie came to Springfield to live with him in the Fall of 1976. Dr. Scott was thrilled to see his daughter again and back in his life. Jackie also hired new employee at her new thrift shop, Eve Stapleton, Rita's sister. Eve also would come and help with Dr. Scott on occasion. This help from Eve would become very useful, once Dr. Scott had a heart attack himself.

Justin then diagnosed Dr. Scott with a congenital heart disorder. Justin told both Emmett and his former wife that usually the heart disorder Emmett had would not continue into adulthood, but Emmett's had. Then Justin went further and advised Jackie that Emmett's heart condition might be passed down through any son she might have. This really worried Jackie, but not for reasons that Justin or Emmett suspected. It would turn out that many years ago, when Jackie found Justin in bed with Brandy, she had run off to Paris after finding out she was pregnant. Keeping her pregnancy a secret, Jackie then weighed options and late in her pregnancy decided to seek OP-GYN Dr. Paul La Crosse who was also the OP-GYN of the wealthy Elizabeth Spaulding. When Dr. La Crosse had learned that Elizabeth's was about to be stillborn, he told her husband Alan. In short order, La Cross convinced Jackie to give her baby boy away and he was given to the Spauldings. Alan made Elizabeth believe that this was the child she had given birth to and he was named Phillip. However, Dr. Scott knew none of this and so was very confused as to why Jackie was getting so involved in the affairs of the Spauldings. At the same time, Dr. Scott also worried about the other person who was helping him after his heart attack, Eve Stapleton, since she was blinded after an accident. Dr. Scott actually started feeling lonely, that is until on one of his birthdays, when Jackie finally told her father about Phillip and why she needed to pay attention to the Spauldings! It was a good thing that Jackie did tell Emmett at this time, because Emmett, although retired by this time from Cedars, learned that Elizabeth had brought Phillip in with the same heart condition as he had.

Emmett continued to live with his daughter and even moved into the Spaulding mansion when Jackie had a brief romance and then married Alan, after his divorce from Elizabeth had come through. Unfortunately, Emmett could tell right away, that although Jackie was thrilled to have Phillip around her -- Alan Spaulding was not a nice man! Then, Jackie got her heart broken yet again when Elizabeth, newly married to Justin, was able to gain custody of Phillip. If that weren't bad enough, Alan was becoming very close to Diane Ballard. Jackie only had her father Emmett to help her and lean on for comfort, but this would not be for long. Alan went and did the unthinkable in Emmett's opinion: he went and had another affair, but not with Diane, but with Mike Bauer's grown daughter, Hope Bauer! When Emmett confronted Alan about this, Jackie (who was pregnant) found out for the first time. Alan firmly asked Emmett to leave the mansion and Emmett returned to Chicago. Emmett would later learn that his daughter would have an accident and lose the baby she was to have with Alan. But, Emmett would be thrilled to learn that Jackie and Justin remarried and that Elizabeth granted custody to Phillip to them.

Unfortunately, two years after this, it wouldn't be Alan Spaulding, Hope Bauer or the deceased Diane Ballard that would cause the most grief for Emmett or Justin. That would be left for Justin's sister-in-law, Carrie Todd Marler. When Carrie, who was suffering from multiple personality disorder, told Jackie that she and Justin were having an affair, Jackie left to go on a trip to visit her father. Later, Jackie got a call from Carrie admitting that one of Carrie's personalities had lied and that no such affair had taken place. Unfortunately, when Jackie left on a plane to go back to Springfield, her plane crashed and she was presumed dead! Emmett would come to live with Justin and Emmett's newly born granddaughter, Samantha. Then Phillip would come back to Springfield from boarding school and cause havoc in Springfield because of his confusion over the death of his "aunt" Jackie. Despite Justin, Samantha and Phillip getting some help from Eve Stapleton McFarren, Emmett would be tense about knowing the truth about Phillip's true parentage and didn't want to say anything to the young man, before Justin did. The end of that year, the Marlers would learn that Emmet died of a heart attack.