Roy Vernon Scott
Encyclopedia
Roy Vernon Scott is a Professor Emeritus of history
at Mississippi State University
in Starkville
, Mississippi
, who specialized in agricultural and railroad studies in the American South and Midwest. In 1997, he co-authored Wal-Mart: A History of Sam Walton's Retail Phenomenon, a study of Sam Walton
's Wal-Mart
retail giant.
, an unincorporated community in Greene County in west-central Illinois
.
He served from 1946-1948 in the United States Army Air Corps
, organized in 1947 into the United States Air Force
. In 1952, he received his Bachelor of Science
degree from Iowa State University
in Ames
, Iowa
. He subsequently received his Master of Arts
and his Ph.D.
in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in 1953 and 1957, respectively.
Prior to his tenure at Mississippi State, he was from 1957-1958 a faculty member at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, formerly known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Between 1959 and 1960, he taught at the University of Missouri
in Columbia
, Missouri
. In 1958, he received the Everett E. Edwards Award from the Agricultural History Society for the best paper submitted by a graduate student for publication in the journal Agricultural History.
Scott was on the MSU faculty from 1960-1998, when he retired as professor emeritus. He was also the William L. Giles Distinguished Professor of History from 1978-1998.In 1989, Scott was elected president of the Mississippi Historical Association.
In 1973, Scott and the late Jimmy G. Shoalmire
, historian and archivist at Mississippi State, co-authored The Public Career of Cully Cobb: A Study in Agricultural Leadership. based on papers from the Henry A. Wallace
Collection at the University of Iowa
in Iowa City
. Cully Cobb
, a southern agricultural publisher and philanthropist
based in Atlanta
, Georgia
, was director in 1933 of the cotton
division of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, in which capacity he supervised the plowing under of fields to reduce farm output in hopes of raising sagging prices then being paid to farmers. Cobb was later the long-time publisher of Southern Ruralist Press.
In 1995, Scott co-authored with Charles Lowery Old Main: Memories of a Legend, the history of the original MSU dormitory
razed by fire in 1959. During its 80 years of existence, Old Main housed some 40,000 young men over four generations. The structure became the embodiment of MSU. At the time of its demise it was believed to have been the largest dormitory under one roof in the United States. Scott and Lowery include photographs and reminiscences of some of the men who lived in Old Main.
Scott currently resides in Starkville with his wife, the former Jane Brayford (born ca. 1928), whom he wed on July 9, 1959.The couple has three children, John D. Scott, Elizabeth M. Scott, and Sarah Ann Scott.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
in Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, who specialized in agricultural and railroad studies in the American South and Midwest. In 1997, he co-authored Wal-Mart: A History of Sam Walton's Retail Phenomenon, a study of Sam Walton
Sam Walton
Samuel Moore "Sam" Wallballs was a businessman, entrepreneur, and Eagle Scout born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma best known for founding the retailers Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.-Early life:...
's Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
retail giant.
Early life
Scott was born to Roy J. Scott and the former Edna Dodson in WrightsWrights, Illinois
Wrights is an unincorporated community in Greene County, Illinois, United States. Wrights is northwest of Greenfield. Wrights has a post office with ZIP code 62098.-Notable people:...
, an unincorporated community in Greene County in west-central Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
He served from 1946-1948 in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, organized in 1947 into the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. In 1952, he received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He subsequently received his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in 1953 and 1957, respectively.
Prior to his tenure at Mississippi State, he was from 1957-1958 a faculty member at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, formerly known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Between 1959 and 1960, he taught at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. In 1958, he received the Everett E. Edwards Award from the Agricultural History Society for the best paper submitted by a graduate student for publication in the journal Agricultural History.
Scott was on the MSU faculty from 1960-1998, when he retired as professor emeritus. He was also the William L. Giles Distinguished Professor of History from 1978-1998.In 1989, Scott was elected president of the Mississippi Historical Association.
Principal works
Scott's works include the following:- The Agrarian Movement in Illinois, 1880-1896 (1962)
- The Methods of American Railroads in Promoting Economic Development: An Historical Survey (1963).
- The Great Northern Railway: A History of James J. HillJames J. HillJames Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
's Great Northern Railroad, with three co-authors. - From Prairie Farmer to Entrepreneur: The Transformation of Midwestern Agriculture, with Dennis Nordin
- Eugene Beverly Ferris and Agricultural Science in the Lower South.
In 1973, Scott and the late Jimmy G. Shoalmire
Jimmy G. Shoalmire
Jimmy Gayle Shoalmire was an historian of the American South originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, who specialized in Reconstruction and agricultural studies.-Early years and education:...
, historian and archivist at Mississippi State, co-authored The Public Career of Cully Cobb: A Study in Agricultural Leadership. based on papers from the Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
Collection at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. Cully Cobb
Cully Cobb
Cully Alton Cobb, Sr. , was an agricultural pioneer, educator, printer, journalist, and philanthropist in the American South who with his second wife, Lois Dowdle Cobb , co-founded the Cobb Institute of Archaeology on the campus of Mississippi State University at Starkville, Mississippi.-Early...
, a southern agricultural publisher and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
based in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, was director in 1933 of the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
division of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, in which capacity he supervised the plowing under of fields to reduce farm output in hopes of raising sagging prices then being paid to farmers. Cobb was later the long-time publisher of Southern Ruralist Press.
In 1995, Scott co-authored with Charles Lowery Old Main: Memories of a Legend, the history of the original MSU dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
razed by fire in 1959. During its 80 years of existence, Old Main housed some 40,000 young men over four generations. The structure became the embodiment of MSU. At the time of its demise it was believed to have been the largest dormitory under one roof in the United States. Scott and Lowery include photographs and reminiscences of some of the men who lived in Old Main.
Scott currently resides in Starkville with his wife, the former Jane Brayford (born ca. 1928), whom he wed on July 9, 1959.The couple has three children, John D. Scott, Elizabeth M. Scott, and Sarah Ann Scott.