Scott, Frank A.

Frank Augustus Scott (1873-1949) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Robert and Sarah (Warr) Scott. He attended Cleveland Public Schools and received additional private tutoring from John H. Dynes of Western Reserve University. He began working at the age of eighteen as a stenographer for a railroad company. Through the years he moved into increasingly responsible positions and was Presidetn and Chairman of the Board at Warner and Swasey from 1920-1928. He also served on the board of directors for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company and for the Cleveland Trust Bank.

In addition to a successful business career, Scott was especially active in local civic, cultural, charitable, and educational institutions. He served as vice president of the Associated Charities and as treasurer and vice president of Lakeside Hospital. Scott played a leading role in the building fund drive for University Hospitals, and in 1928 became president of that institution. As a trustee of Western Reserve University and as a member of the Corporation of Case Institute of Technology, he attempted to achieve a merger of the two institutions. Scott was also active in the Cleveland Engineering Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and served as a trustee of the Central Armory. He was active in numerous Cleveland clubs. Scott was a receiver for both the Cleveland Municipal Traction Company and the Standard Parts Company.

Prior to the involvement of the United States in World War I, Scott had advocated a policy of military preparedness. In 1916 he became a member of the Naval Consulting Board of the United States. After America entered the war he served as chairman of the Munitions Standards Board of the General Munitions Board, and as first chairman of the War Industries Board. After the war Scott served as the chief of the Cleveland Ordinance District and was appointed an honorary adviser to the Army Industrial College. He maintained his rank of Colonel in the O. R. C. of the United States Army.

After his retirement in 1928, Scott continued to serve his community. He remained a trustee of the Western Reserve Historical Society and fellow for life of the Cleveland Museum of Art. During the depression he served as a financial director for Western Reserve University. He was also an avid collector of guns and retained a strong interest in the history of the American Civil War.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Frank A. Scott

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Warner and Swasey Company

From the guide to the Frank A. Scott Papers, Series II, 1894-1950, (Western Reserve Historical Society)