It was his tenure and leadership of council that in 1936 catapulted him to the mayor's office during the contentious administration of his predecessor William N. McNair, with whom Scully had often feuded.

The massive workload of the area's factories, mills and shipyards, while a point of immense pride among Pennsylvanians, only reinforced negative stereotypes of the city as a polluted and dirty environment.

Scully put some of his dreams of Pittsburgh's beauty and clean air on hold for the needs of his wartime country; on other issues he made much progress for the city.

Mayor Scully owned a 210-acre apple and peach farm outside Shepherdstown, West Virginia and would leave the city on most weekends to spend time out of state.

Mayor Scully attempted to defend himself by stating that he had to make the trip so he could keep up his victory garden, however it was then revealed that only three of his 113-acre farm in suburban Baldwin was being cultivated.