George T. Scott Papers, 1951-1987
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
George Taylor Scott was born in Troy, New York, on September 10, 1914. He was the son of Robert Winfield and Helen Denison (Taylor)*. Educated in Stillwater, New York, Scott received a bachelor’s degree from Union College in New York (1938), and a master’s degree (1941) and doctoral degree (1943) from Harvard University. He was an Austin Teaching Fellow at Harvard from 1940-42.
Scott joined the faculty of Oberlin College in 1943 as an instructor in the Department of Zoology, 1943-46 (Assistant Professor, 1946-48; Associate Professor, 1948-52; Professor, 1952-80). He served as the head of the Department of Zoology from 1956 to 1961. He taught courses in physiology, biochemistry, and introductory biology. The Oberlin College Departments of Botany and Zoology merged to form the Department of Biology in 1961, and Scott was named department head from 1961 to 1967. He was instrumental in getting approval for the merger, discussing many of the positive benefits with Oberlin College President Robert K. Carr. Despite opposition from professors at Oberlin College (specifically George T. Jones) and professors at other institutions (many of whom graduated from Oberlin), the new department was created. Scott also helped to secure a $375,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for the construction of Kettering Hall, which was built for the Departments of Biology and Chemistry.
George T. Scott spent considerable professional time researching at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. There he served on the board of trustees from 1956 to 1974. He also conducted research at the Bermuda Biological Station in St. Georges, Bermuda, where he served as president from 1967 to 1977. On July 16, 1977, in honor of Scott’s commitment to biological research, the Bermuda Biological Station officially named the laboratory at the station after him. In addition to marine biology projects, Scott studied the physiological influences of psychoactive drugs, specifically their effects on the pigment-dispersing systems of frogs and flatfish, with many of the tests sponsored by the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Office of Naval Research, and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The majority of his research papers dealt with ion distributions across cell membranes, and several of his articles were published in Science, Biological Bulletin, Archives of Biochemistry, and Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.
Scott served on the Health Service Committee at Oberlin College. However, the majority of his committee work was at the Bermuda Biological Station and Marine Biological Laboratory, where he served as Chairman of the Nominating Committee at each location. In 1962 and 1967, Scott participated in international conferences on Action Mechanism and Metabolism in Psychoactive Drugs in Paris. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Zoologists, the Society of General Physiologists, the Ohio Academy of Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the American Association of University Professors. Scott is listed in Who’s Who in Science, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World.
Scott retired from Oberlin College in 1980. That same year the college created the George T. Scott Marine Biology Scholarship in honor of his 37 years of teaching and research at Oberlin. After retirement, Scott and his wife, Elsie (nee Welling) moved to Massachusetts. They had two daughters, Helen and Georganne. George T. Scott died at the age of 73 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1987.
Sources Consulted
Faculty File of George T. Scott, Alumni and Development Records (RG 28)
George T. Scott Papers (RG 30/134)
Records of the Office of Communication (RG 18)
Who Was Who in America, Vol.IX, 1985-1989 (Wilmette, IL: Macmillan, 1989), p.320
*This is the extent of the available information concerning the early years and family of George T. Scott.
Author: Colin Mack Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative InformationHope Hibbard Papers (RG 30/147)
Records of the Oberlin College Department of Botany (RG 9/15)
Records of the Oberlin College Office of Communication (RG 18)
The Jones Family Papers (RG 30/107)
The papers of George T. Scott, biologist and Oberlin College professor, primarily document his involvement with the merger of the Oberlin College Departments of Botany and Zoology into the Department of Biology in 1961.
The collection is divided into six series: I. Biographical Files, II. Correspondence Relating to the Oberlin College Biology Department, III. Clippings File, IV. Writings File, V. Audio Recordings, and VI. Photographs.
The correspondence series consists of a letter written by Department of Zoology Chairman George T. Scott to Oberlin College President Robert K. Carr, in which Scott explained the rationale for the merger. Oberlin College Department of Botany Chairman George T. Jones (d.1998) argued in a subsequent letter that the merger would unfairly limit the productivity and resources of the Department of Botany. (The Jones Family Papers, RG 30/107, and the Records of the Department of Botany, RG 9/15, should be consulted for further details.) Letters written by professors at other universities expressed concern about the merger, indicating that the Department of Botany would unfairly suffer. Included are letters by William Penfound (Oberlin College Class of 1922) from the University of Oklahoma, Walter S. Phillips (Oberlin College Class of 1929) from the University of Arizona, William C. Denison (Oberlin College Class of 1949) from Swarthmore College, and William C. Fritts (Oberlin College Class of 1951) from Eastern Illinois University.
The correspondence series contains nine letters regarding a $375,000 grant to Oberlin College from the Rockefeller Foundation for the construction of Kettering Hall, which was built for the new Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry. Series V. Audio Recordings consists of four reel to reel tapes of the Oberlin College Science Symposium held on October 20, 1961, coinciding with the dedication of Kettering Hall.
The biographical files and clippings file series provide some insight into the research interests of George T. Scott. Scott’s relationship with the Bermuda Biological Station in St. Georges, Bermuda, where he studied marine biology and served as president from 1967-1977, is of special importance. Also present are clippings documenting the July 16, 1977 dedication of the George T. Scott Laboratory located at the station. The writings series provides insight into his work regarding the effects of sodium and potassium in Ulva lactuca. Absent from this collection are materials relating to George T. Scott’s teaching (i.e., lecture notes, syllabi) and papers relating to his personal life.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I. Biographical Files, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1987 (2 folders)
The biographical files consist of photocopies of Oberlin College news releases concerning George T. Scott’s retirement from teaching in 1980 and obituary notices from September 23, 1987. Included are brochures and an annual report of the Bermuda Biological Station in St. Georges, Bermuda, where Scott conducted research.
Series II. Correspondence Relating to the Oberlin College Biology Department, 1959-60 (3 folders)
The correspondence series contains detailed letters that document the merger of the Oberlin College Departments of Botany and Zoology into the Department of Biology in 1961. Included is correspondence between George T. Scott and Oberlin College President Robert K. Carr, and letters from professors at other institutions. This series also consists of letters concerning a construction grant for Kettering Hall. The series is arranged chronologically.
Series III. Clippings File, 1953, 1959-77 (2 folders)
This series consists of two folders of clippings (photocopies), one containing articles relating to George T. Scott’s presentations, research, and awards, and the other concerning the Bermuda Biological Station in St. Georges, Bermuda. The clippings are arranged chronologically.
Series IV. Writings File, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1959 (1 folder, 6 titles)
Consists of six scientific articles, five coauthored and one written exclusively by George T. Scott and reprinted from scientific journals. See the inventory for a complete list of titles and citations. The writings are arranged chronologically.
Series V. Audio Recordings, 1961 (4 reel to reel tapes)
Includes four reel to reel tapes of the Oberlin College Science Symposium held for the dedication of Kettering Hall on October 20, 1961. George T. Scott and Oberlin College Professor Luke E. Steiner (d. 1980) presided over of the symposium. Other speakers included Robert Alberty (University of Wisconsin), Barry Commoner (Washington University), and George Wald (Harvard University). See also the records of the Office of Communication (RG 18) for additional information about the symposium.
Series VI. Photographs, 1971, 1977 (2 folders)
There are four photographs in the series: two color photographs of the Bermuda Biological Station (August 1977), one color photograph of the bronze dedication plaque for the George T. Scott Laboratory (August 1977), and one black and white photograph of George T. Scott (1971).
INVENTORY
Series I. Biographical Files, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1987
Box 1
Bermuda Biological Station, 1965,
1973,1977
News releases and obituary, 1980, 1987
Series II. Correspondence Relating to the Oberlin College Biology Department, 1959-60
Box 1 (cont.)
Establishment of the Oberlin College Biology
Department, 1959-60 (2f)
Kettering Hall construction grant, 1960
Series III. Clippings File, 1953, 1959-77
Box 1 (cont.)
Bermuda Biological Station, 1967-77
George T. Scott (clippings about), 1953,
1959-69
Series IV. Writings File, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1959
Box 1 (cont.)
“The Influence of Glycolytic Factors on the
Potassium and Sodium Content of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae,” by George T.
Scott, Marc A. Jacobson, and Mary E. Rice.
(Reprint from Archives ofBiochemistry,
Vol. 30, No. 2, February, 1951, p. 282-291)
"The Influence of Temperature and Illumination on
the Exchange of Potassium Ion in Ulva lactuca,”
by George T Scott and Hugh Howard. (Reprint
from Biochimica et Biophysica, Vol. 12,
1953, p. 401-404)
“The Influence of Iodoacetate on the Sodium and
Potassium Content of Ulva lactuca and the
Prevention of its Influence by Light,” by George
T. Scott and Hugh Hayward (Reprint from Science,
Vol. 1, No. 3052,1953, p. 719-721)
“Exchange of Sodium Ion in Ulva lactuca,” by George T.
Scott, Hugh Hayward, Robert De Voe, and Gary
Crave (Reprint from Science, Vol. 125, No. 3239,
1957, p. 160)
“Frog Melanophore Dispersing Action of Meprobamate,”
by Martha Ann Robinson and George T. Scott
(Reprint from Biochemical and Biophysical
Research Communications, Vol. 2, No. 1,
1959, p. 19- 21)
“Melanophore Dispersing Action of Ataraxic Drugs,” by
George T. Scott. (Reprint from Biological Bulletin,
Vol. 117, No. 2, January, 1959, p. 400)
Series V. Audio Recordings, 1961
Box 1 (cont.)
Science Symposium, October 20,1961 (reel to reel tapes)
Series VI. Photographs, 1971, 1977
Box 1 (cont.)
Bermuda Biological Station, 1977
George T. Scott, faculty portrait, 1971
George T. Scott Laboratory plaque, 1977