Scott Banning came to Salem with his wife Janet and planned to adopt Julie Olson's son by David Martin. After Janet died, Scott grew close to Susan Hunter Martin, but Julie Olson was planning her revenge. When she learned the boy Scott and Janet were adopting was her son David she sued for custody and won. Eventually Julie got Scott to marry her, because it was the only way she could be in her son's life full time. Scott was unaware that during the years of his marriage to Julie she was having an affair with Doug Williams. However tension was present between Scott and Julie, and in 1971 Scott and Julie separated, and Scott took David to another town where he found a new job. Scott eventually returned to Salem, and Julie and Scott reconciled after Doug had married Julie's mother Addie. In 1972 Scott landed a job at Anderson Manufacturing as an architect. However, Scott died in early 1973 after being hit by a fallen beam at a construction site.