James Harper is a retired history professor who formerly taught at Texas Tech University. In researching his dissertation, Dr. Harper collected copies of documents pertaining to the military career and personal life of Major General Hugh Lenox Scott and his family. As a professor, Harper's continued research included conducting oral history interviews with some of General Scott's descendents.
Major General Hugh Lenox Scott was born in Kentucky in 1853. An 1876 graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, Scott began his career as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Cavalry on the northern plains. During his time in the west, Scott studied Native Americans and used his knowledge and skill in sign language to promote peaceful relations. He served in the Spanish-American War and assisted in the reconstruction period in Cuba. Other offices held by Scott include Governor of Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, Superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, Chief of Staff of the Army, interim Secretary of War, Commandant of Fort Dix, Chairman of the New Jersey Highway Commission, and a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners. Scott's skill as a negotiator helped avert conflict in a number of incidents with Native Americans and with Francisco "Pancho" Villa on the Mexican border. Hugh Lenox Scott married Mary Merrill, daughter of General Lewis Merrill, in 1880. He died in 1934.
From the guide to the James W. Harper Collection, S1291. 1., 1848-1989 and undated, (Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University)
