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Abstract

In April of 1961, Engineering News-Record, in its Obituaries column, announced the death of Thomas A. Scott (1877–1961), retired chairman of the board for Merritt-Chapman & Scott. Scott was a renowned constructor who began his career as a blacksmith’s helper in his father’s company. His father, Thomas Albertson Scott (1830–1907), but known to all as Captain Scott, had gone to sea at age 15 and had by 1855 obtained an ownership interest in a schooner. But Captain Scott sold that interest after only a few years and moved his family to Coytesville, New Jersey, where he opened a general store. Within two years he abandoned storekeeping and took a contract to salvage the cargo from a steamer sunk near Fort Lee, New Jersey. After that he was employed by Francis Hopkinson Smith, who had a contract to construct the Race Rock Lighthouse located at the west end of Fishers Island and at the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound. So in the early 1870s the elder Scott moved his family to New London, Connecticut, so they would be with him during the construction of the Lighthouse, a 67-ft-high granite tower. Quoting from the Web site eastendlighthouses.org/rRock, “The construction on the ‘Boulder’ (really a ledge that is 3 to 13 feet below water) required 7 years, thousands of tons of riprap, numerous acts of courage and amazing persistence.” The work was completed in 1878, and the family remained in New London as the Captain continued to be engaged in marine salvage and construction work. As a credit to the quality of the construction, it must be noted that the Race Rock Lighthouse is still in service. The Captain’s firm was incorporated in 1903, under the name of T. A. Scott Company, Inc., and Thomas A. Scott—who had worked as a seaman, ship’s captain, salvage officer, and operations manager—became president. Under his leadership the firm turned increasingly to construction but continued to be extensively involved in marine salvage operations. Design/build is not such a new thing, because in 1904 T. A. Scott Company designed and built a plant to manufacture bichromate of potash and soda for the Mutual Chemical Company in Jersey City, New Jersey. The T. A. Scott Company greatly expanded its salvage operations during World War I but the Navy drew Scott away from the company. He was commissioned a Lieutenant Commander and