Richard M. Scott, also known as Dick Scott, (April 28, 1918 - January 2, 2005) was 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.
Dick 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, In January 1944, he was stationed in England and flew P38 missions over Europe. In March 1944, he was forced to land in Germany. He evaded German forces for more than four months before being captured and imprisoned in Sagan, Germany. Scott then escaped and returned to Allied lines in 1945. Scott retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1970 and returned to Lancaster, where he was elected mayor in 1973. He was re-elected in 1977.[2] Under his leadership, Lancaster City was renewed with the Armstrong-National Central Bank, a new baseball stadium, 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.[3] 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.[1][4] at the age of 86, and in 2006 Scott was inducted into the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ Hall of Fame.[2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas J. Monaghan |
Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania 1974–1979 |
Succeeded by Albert B. Wohlsen, Jr. |