Richard M. Scott

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For other people with the same name, see Richard Scott (disambiguation).
Dick Scott
Adjutant General of Pennsylvania
In office
1979–1986
GovernorDick Thornburgh
Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
In office
1974–1979
Preceded byThomas J. Monaghan
Succeeded byAlbert Wohlsen
Personal details
Born(1918-04-28)April 28, 1918
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 2, 2005(2005-01-02) (aged 86)
Reading, Pennsylvania

Richard M. Scott (April 28, 1918 – January 2, 2005) was an American politician, U.S. Air Force pilot, and the former Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He is best known to have led the effort to bring professional baseball back to the city of Lancaster. This was realized with the creation of the Lancaster Barnstormers, of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He also served as Adjutant General of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1986.

Biography[]

Mural honoring Richard M. Scott at Lancaster's Clipper Magazine Stadium

Scott was born in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Roy V. and Laura Scott.[1] He graduated from the Lancaster Boys' High School. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Scott was stationed in England in January 1944 and began flying P-38 missions over Europe during World War II. In March 1944, Scott's plane clipped a transmission tower in the Netherlands, shearing off his left wing and forcing a crash landing in Nazi-occupied territory.[2] Scott eluded capture for several months with the help of the Dutch resistance, with whom he joined for several months.[2] The Dutch resistance conceived a plot to help Scott escape the Netherlands by traveling through occupied Belgium and France before arriving in neutral Switzerland.[2] However, Nazi spies who had infiltrated the resistance learned of the plot and Scott was arrested by German authorities.[2]

Scott managed to escape from the Nazis twice during his detention.[2] In 1945, he escaped for the second time from a prisoner of war camp in Sagan, Germany, and was able to rejoin the American forces.[2] Upon reaching the Americans, Scott was nearly shot by them because they did not initially believe he was an escaped American prisoner of war.[2]

Scott retired from the United States Air Force in 1970. He was elected Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1973. He was re-elected in 1977.[3] Under his leadership, Lancaster City was renewed with the Armstrong-National Central Bank and a lower crime rate.

Albert Wohlsen was appointed interim mayor in 1979 after Scott resigned as mayor to serve as adjutant general of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1986 under former Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh.[4] As adjutant general, Scott led the Pennsylvania National Guard and the state's veterans programs.

Scott died on January 2, 2005, at Reading Hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania at the age of 86.[1][5] In 2006, Scott was posthumously inducted into the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Hall of Fame.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Richard M. Scott obituary". Intelligencer Journal. 2005-01-03. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Brubaker, Jack (2016-07-12). "The Scribbler: Extraordinary veterans spotlighted in new book". LNP. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  3. ^ a b "Scott Named to Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Hall of Fame". Pennsylvania Dept of Military and Veteran Affairs. March 28, 2006. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  4. ^ Ingen, Lori Van (January 13, 2004). "Albert Wohlsen, former mayor, dies". Intelligencer Journal. p. B1.
  5. ^ O'Connor, David (Jan 6, 2005). "'Devoted to his country and community' // Hundreds attend memorial". Intelligencer Journal Lancaster New Era; Combined Saturday edition. Archived from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1974–1979 		Succeeded by
Albert B. Wohlsen, Jr.
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