Frances Scott Fitzgerald Smith, the only child of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, won recognition in her own right as a writer, political activist, and patron of the arts. Scottie was a reporter by trade. She worked on the staffs of Time, The New Yorker, The Democratic Digest, and The Northern Virginia Sun, where she was chief political writer. She also wrote for both The New York Times and The Washington Post. While living in Washington, D.C., she wrote and directed musical comedies for charity performances.

She also published three books: Don't Quote Me, which she wrote with Winzola McLendon about the women of the Washington press; The Romantic Egotists, a pictorial biography of her parents; and An Alabama Journal 1977, which was written after her return to Montgomery in 1973 and shows her devotion to and love for her state.

She was active in preserving history as a member of the Maryland Historical Society and the Alabama Historical Society. She encouraged young women in Alabama to become involved in politics and run for office.

Scottie Fitzgerald Smith was much more than an "only daughter." She was her own person who contributed to the lives of others, particularly young women.