Alfred Lloyd “Ducky” Scott
1905 – 1988
|
Alfred Lloyd Scott at age 6. Front page of the September 18, 1915 issue of the Topeka Daily Capital
|
Ducky Scott was born August 5, 1905 at Topeka, Kansas, the youngest of eight children born to an English immigrant, Henry Charles Scott (1841-1919), and his wife, Alice Delana (Teed) Scott (1860-1943). Ducky’s father, along with a brother, William “Will” Scott (1843-1904), had been the first to manufacture ice cream in the state of Kansas, opening their business in Topeka in 1879 to manufacture Scott Brothers brand ice cream.
On Friday, September 17, 1915, Alfred Scott was one of 15,000 that attended an automobile races with one of his brothers and a couple of friends at the Mid-America Free Fair in Topeka. Ducky and his brother were running a pop stand not far from the racetrack but Ducky and the two friends had slipped away to watch the car races while his brother stayed to run the pop stand. During one of those races, a white 200 h.p. Ajax automobile, driven by Hugh Judson “Juddy” Kilpatrick (1879-1961), hit a soft spot in the racetrack and snapped off the right front wheel of the car along with the attached steering knuckle. The car veered sharply to the right and crashed through a heavy, tightly woven wire fence behind which people were standing 15-deep to watch the races. As the car went through the fence, it ripped out a 6-foot metal pole that struck driver Kilpatrick before puncturing the fuel tank. As fuel poured from the ruptured tank, it pooled in puddles on the ground. Several men, standing in the crowd, were smoking so it was a miracle that the fuel did not ignite. 10 people, including Kilpatrick, were hurt with 10-year-old Alfred Scott being the most seriously injured. He had been standing next to the fence (or seated on a box, depending on which account is to be believed) and was run over by the Ajax racer, breaking both of his legs – one at the knee and the other below the knee. Local doctors wanted to amputate the legs but the family brought in a specialist from Kansas City who was able to same them. Alfred’s left leg was crushed so badly that a silver place was wired into place and then a strong post, also made of solid silver, replaced his leg bone from his hip to his knee. Scott spent more than a year in the hospital after the accident which left him with one leg longer than the other. He had to wear specially made shoes but still had a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. He was out of school for a year after the accident but his parents hired tutors for him and, in the end, he did so well with the tutoring that he actually gained a grade in school during that year that he was out of school.
In February of 1916, Alfred’s father sued the fair association and a couple of its officials, for $10,000 on behalf of Alfred, claiming they were liable because the Topeka racetrack had not been built specifically for auto racing. The trial did not get underway for another year and, by that time, the two fair officials, named individually in the lawsuit, had settled out of court with the Scotts for a total of $2,667. In court, the judge asked Alfred why he had not stayed back from the fence when the police officer told him too. Alfred replied that “he didn’t tell me to stay back.” The jury then found in February of 1917, that the fair association was only liable for $2,000 of the damages that the Scott lawsuit had requested. Henry Scott appealed that verdict to the Shawnee County District Court which ruled in the Scotts favor. The fair association then appealed the case to the Kansas State Supreme Court which ruled unanimously during their spring, 1918 term, that Alfred was not guilty of contributory negligence and therefore, the Scotts were entitled to the full $10,000 in damages that they had originally sought. Other plaintiffs, seeking damages from that accident, filed similar lawsuits against the fair association but they were not nearly as successful as the Scotts were.
In April of 1919 and after the death of Ducky’s father, Henry Scott; Ducky’s brother, Otis Henry Scott (1885-1959), filed suit on behalf of his younger brother, Alfred, in district court to collect $3,456.34 in promissory notes that the fair association had given the Scotts as partial settlement of the judgement against them. The fair association’s insurance company argued in court that, since the Scotts had excepted the promissory notes in lieu of cash, the insurance company should no longer be required to pay the notes off to the Scotts. The district court did not accept that argument though. It ruled that the fair association was required to pay the notes off in cash and the insurance company was then required to reimburse the fair association. The insurance company appealed that decision to the Kansas State Supreme Court, but lost. After winding its way through the court system for nearly 4 years, the case was finally closed.
|
This photo of the white 200 h.p. Ajax automobile that Hugh Judson “Juddy” Kilpatrick was driving when he crashed through a heavy, closely woven wire fence, striking and injuring 10-year-old Alfred Scott and 9 other people, including himself, was taken immediately after that accident in Topeka. Notice that the right front wheel is missing. Front page of the September 18, 1915 issue of the Topeka Daily Capital
|
Until 1919, Alfred had helped run the family ice cream store but
now, at the age of 14, he installed a hand-operated printing press in the
second story of the building and operated his own successful newspaper from
there for several years. Among the newspaper’s
bigger successes were the horoscopes he ran in the newspaper that he got from
books he purchased on the subject.
A relative, visiting from England, tagged Alfred Scott with the nickname, “Ducky” early in life as in “everything is just Ducky”. That was a common expression in England at the time; “Ducky” meaning “charming”, or “delightful” there.
Ducky graduated from Sumner Elementary school and then Topeka high school in June of 1924. He attended Washburn College in Topeka for a year where he majored in journalism before beginning to build race cars and participating in auto races. He met a nurse named Laura Lyle Lane (1907-1960) and they were married in 1929.
With Laura running the business and Ducky doing the printing, they founded the American Directory Publishing Company in Topeka in the early 1930s but then closed it during World War II as the rationing of ink, paper and rubber tires made it too difficult to operate their printing business.
Ducky and Laura had one daughter, Frances Delana (Scott) Mettle (1930-).
The Scotts were socially active, belonging to the Golden Rule Lodge No. 90, the AF & AM Arab Shrine, the Paternal Order of Eagles and the Kansas Telephone Association, all in Topeka. Laura also enjoyed driving luxury automobiles and Ducky enjoyed playing poker.
Following is an incomplete list of the races that Ducky Scott participated in and / or promoted, as well as the stunt shows that he promoted. Auto races that Scott participated in as a driver have a 1 after the date. Races that he promoted have a 2 after the date. Stunt shows that he promoted have a 3 after the date:
July 5, 1926 1 – 1 mile dirt oval – Kenwood Park at Salina, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Ford Frontenac #12
Finish: Scott’s name does not appear in the published results of these races.
Feature race winner: James E. “Jim” White of Lost Springs, Kansas.
September 3, 1926 1 – ½ mile dirt oval – North Central Kansas Fairgrounds at Belleville, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Ford Frontenac #12
Feature race winner: Pat Cunningham of St. Joseph, Missouri who was driving the Lawhon brothers #X-3 owned by George Lawhon who was also from St. Joseph, Missouri.
September 15, 1926 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Kansas Free Fairgrounds in Topeka, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Ford Frontenac #12
Finish: Scott won the 1st 7-car, 8-lap heat race with Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka finishing in 2nd place in his own Fronty Ford #22.
Feature race winner: Only qualifying races were run on this date. The feature race was run on September 18, 1926.
|
Alfred “Ducky” Scott Topeka High School Senior photo taken in 1923
|
September 16, 1926 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Kansas Free Fairgrounds in Topeka, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Ford Frontenac #12
Finish: Scott finished 5th in the 5-car, 7-lap 1st heat race driving his own Fronty Ford #22.
Feature race winner: Only qualifying races were run on this date. The feature race was run on September 18, 1926.
September 18, 1926 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Kansas Free Fairgrounds in Topeka, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Ford Frontenac #12
Finish: Scott qualified to compete in the feature race run on this afternoon through the 1st heat race run on September 15, 1926 but the results of that feature race have yet to be located.
August, 1927 1 – ½ mile dirt oval – Katy Park in Chanute, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Miller #9
Feature race winner: Ducky Scott of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Scott special Miller #9.
August 31, 1927 1 – ½ mile dirt oval – Valley County Fairgrounds at Ord, Nebraska
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Miller #9
Feature race winner: Vic Felt of Deer Trail, Colorado driving his own car #99.
September 2, 1927 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Riverside Park at Iola, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Miller #9
Finish: Scott finished 3rd in the in the 5-mile “Free for All” race behind Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Ford Frontenac #8 and Phineas C. “Dad” Harrier of Hiawatha, Kansas in his own Fronty Ford #6.
Feature race winner: Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Ford Frontenac #8.
September 16, 1927 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Montgomery County Fairgrounds at Coffeyville, Kansas
Car: Scott entered his own Scott special Miller #9
Finish: Scott finished 4th in the 4-car, 5-lap 1st class B heat race behind Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Ford Frontenac #8; James D. “Dusty” Deines of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Deines special and Phineas C. “Dad” Harrier of Hiawatha, Kansas in his own Fronty Ford #6.
Scott finished 4th in the 2nd class A heat race behind John Gerber of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Chevrolet special #15; Albert “Mike” Koenitzer of Meriden, Kansas who was driving a Chevrolet special and Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Ford Frontenac #8.
Scott finished 4th in the 2nd class B heat race behind Albert “Al” Koepke of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Ford Frontenac #8; Phineas C. “Dad” Harrier of Hiawatha, Kansas in his own Fronty Ford #6 and James D. “Dusty” Deines of Topeka, Kansas who was driving his own Deines special.
Feature race winner: John Gerber of Topeka, Kansas who was driving a Chevrolet special #15.
September 27, 1927 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Finish: These races were postponed until October 1, 1927 due to rain.
October 1, 1927 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Finish: These races were canceled due to rain.
July 27, 1928 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Vernon County Fairgrounds at Nevada, Missouri
Feature race winner: Results of these races have yet to be located.
July 28, 1928 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Car: Scott entered a front-wheel-drive car #571 that is believed to have been built by Ben Gregory of Kansas City, Missouri.
Finish: Scott finished 3rd in the 3rd 6-car, 8-lap heat race behind James F. Pickens of Arkansas City, Kansas who was driving a Ford special #440 owned by Joe Hutchinson, and Rea Bray of Hutchinson, Kansas who was driving a Frontenac Ford #11.
Scott finished 3rd in the 12-lap, 6-car feature race behind James F. Pickens of Arkansas City, Kansas and Mack McAnally of Winfield, Kansas who was driving the Superior special Hisso #1434 owed by Wendell A. Sparling who was also from Winfield.
Feature race winner: James F. Pickens of Arkansas City, Kansas who was driving a #440 Ford special owned by Joe Hutchinson of Arkansas City, Kansas.
|
Alfred “Ducky” Scott Photo taken in 1926 Mettle collection
|
August 31, 1928 1 – ½ mile dirt oval – Allen County Fairgrounds at Iola, Kansas
Feature race winner: Leech Fox of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving a car known as “Mystery X”.
October 9, 1928 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Feature race winner: Ralph Chrysler of Omaha, Nebraska who was driving a Rajo Ford #7-11. *
October 13, 1928 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Feature race winner: Ira McIntire of Arkansas City, Kansas who was driving a Rajo Ford #44 that was owned by Joe Hutchinson of Arkansas City, Kansas.
August 9, 1929 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Ozark State Fairgrounds at Carthage, Missouri
Feature race winner: Art Hutchin of McAlester, Oklahoma who was driving a blue Whippet special #101.
September 2, 1929 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Ozark State Fairgrounds at Carthage, Missouri
Feature race winner: Fred Littleton of Kansas City, Missouri who was driving the D & L special #7.
September 6, 1929 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Jefferson County Fairgrounds at Oskaloosa, Kansas
Results of these races have yet to be located.
July 4, 1930 2 – ¼ mile dirt oval – Wright Park in Dodge City, Kansas
Feature race winner: Phineas C. “Dad” Harrier of Hiawatha, Kansas in his Fronty Ford #6.
August 8, 1930 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Ozark State Fairgrounds at Carthage, Missouri
Feature race winner: Phineas C. “Dad” Harrier of Hiawatha, Kansas in a bobtail Fronty Ford #52.
May 24, 1931 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Smithville Fairgrounds at Smithville, Missouri
Finish: Scott finished 10th in the 30-lap feature race behind John Gerber of Stanwood, Iowa in his own Chevrolet #15; Howard “Speed” Adams of Des Moines, Iowa in car #300 owned by Joe Kinsey; Pat Cunningham of St. Joseph, Missouri in the B & B special supercharged Fronty #700 owned by Charles O. “C. O.” Bennett also from St. Joseph, Missouri; Fred Bowen of Kansas City, Missouri; Lew “Speed” Irwin of Iola, Kansas driving the #X-3 owned by George Lawhon of St. Joseph, Missouri; Harry Briscoe; Pat “Skinny” Jones of Kansas City, Missouri; “Happy” Fox of Kansas City, Missouri and Dick Richardson in his own car #22A.
Feature race winner: John Gerber of Stanwood, Iowa in his own Chevrolet #15.
|
Alfred “Ducky” Scott Photo taken in 1929 Larry Sullivan collection
|
June 7, 1931 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Smithville Fairgrounds at Smithville, Missouri
Finish: Scott’s name does not appear in the published results of these races.
Feature race winner: John Gerber of Stanwood, Iowa in his own Chevrolet #15.
June 27, 1931 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Kansas Free Fairgrounds in Topeka, Kansas
Feature race winner: John Gerber of Stanwood, Iowa in his own Chevrolet #15.
June 28, 1931 1 & 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Smithville Fairgrounds at Smithville, Missouri
Finish: Few results of these races have been located to date.
Feature race winner: John Gerber of Stanwood, Iowa in his own Chevrolet #15.
September 22, 1931 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Jasper County Fairgrounds at Newton, Iowa
Feature race winner: These races were postponed until September 26, 1931 due to rain.
September 26, 1931 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Jasper County Fairgrounds at Newton, Iowa **
Feature race winner: Philip Bird “Phil” Cline of Knoxville, Tennessee.
October 7, 1931 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Cowley County Fairgrounds at Winfield, Kansas
Results of these races have yet to be located.
February 7, 1932 2 – 1 mile dirt oval – Pompano Park in Pompano, Florida
Results of these races have yet to be located.
|
The Scott Brothers Ice Cream store at 810 West 4th
Street in Topeka, Kansas in 1935. The
ladies in the photo are Gladys Richardson and a sister-in-law of Ducky
Scott’s named Jennie (Mrs. Otis) Scott. “The Scotts of Kent” by Virginia Elizabeth (Scott) McEntyre and Ruth Delana (Croy) Musil, c1990 Richard Zimmerman collection
|
August 16, 1932 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Marion County Fairgrounds at Knoxville, Iowa
Feature race winner: Howard “Speed” Adams of Des Moines, Iowa
July 4, 1933 2 – ¼ mile dirt oval – Wright Park in Dodge City, Kansas
“Fourth of July Auto Race Meet Fails to Materialize
“The automobile races, widely advertised for Dodge City on the Fourth, turned out to be only a band concert.
“A big crowd gathered but the races were called off. Now, Joseph J. Weigel, president of the fair board, has issued a public explanation and apology:
“The association made a contract with Ducky Scott of Topeka for these races” He explained. “We were notified last week by Mr. Scott that eleven drivers had filed entries for this meet. As a consequence, we felt safe in going ahead with our plans. For some unknown reason, only four of the drivers showed up. The fair board did not care to go ahead with the races without a larger field of cars.”
--- Page 2 of the July 6, 1933 issue of the Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kansas.
August 15, 1933 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Marion County Fairgrounds at Knoxville, Iowa
Feature race winner: Rea Bray of Hutchinson, Kansas who was driving a McDowell special.
August 31, 1933 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Allen County Fairgrounds at Iola, Kansas
Scott was originally to promote the auto races on the evening of this date at the Allen County Fair but the fair secretary, Dr. Frank S. Beattie, asked him, just days before the show, if he would also take over the promotion of the automobile / motorcycle stunt show that the fair had scheduled for this afternoon, originally planning that they would promote the show themselves. Scott agreed to promote both shows using the same auto race drivers that had entered the auto races at the fairgrounds the following day. Those were Wesley Kastor of Olathe, Kansas; James D. “Dusty” Deines, Lee Scott and Charles Leon “Shorty” Meinholt of Topeka, Kansas; Harry Jones of Horton, Kansas; H. D. Smith of Ottawa, Kansas and Al Cowan of Hiawatha, Kansas. Admission to the 2-hour, 14-event thrill show was to be 25¢.
The stunt show, scheduled for this date, was canceled due to rain and the auto races were postponed until September 1, 1933.
September 1, 1933 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Allen County Fairgrounds at Iola, Kansas
After having been rained out the evening before, Scott was to promote the auto races on this date at the Allen County Fair with Scott guaranteeing a $25 total purse providing the gate receipts totaled at least $500. These races were canceled however, due to rain. Scott’s auto race promotions had been largely unsuccessful during the “Great Depression” so Scott assembled his “Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils” over the winter of 1933-1934 and he took the troop of stuntmen east to try out his new show. Scott’s troop consisted of just a few mechanics to work on the vehicles and get them from place-to-place with Paul Underberger (1912-1994) of Topeka as his star performer and local drivers hired at each venue to perform the rest of the actual stunts.
September 2-3, 1933 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Andrew County Fairgrounds at Savannah, Missouri
Results of these races have yet to be located.
May 20, 1934 2 – ½ mile dirt oval – Lake Contrary Amusement Park at St. Joseph, Missouri
Feature race winner: Bob Wilson of Kansas City, Kansas who was driving a Bowen special.
August 18, 1934 3 – Kutztown Fairgrounds at Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
Each 2-hour stunt show performance consisted of 15-events:
(1) Introduction of riders and machines.
(2) 5-lap motorcycle race.
(3) All riders entered performed many outstanding tricks.
(4) Novelty motorcycle race known as the pop drinking race. (Riders would race for a determined number of laps, stop in front of the grandstand to drink a bottle of pop, and then finish another determined number of laps to complete the race.)
(5) Auto polo – “A 10-minute game of the hazard type between 2 picked teams of daredevils.”
(6) 5-lap motorcycle race.
(7) Black-Jack soccer – “Riders are given balloons which are attached to their heads. Other riders must break opponents’ balloons with a black-jack.”
(8) Ash Can Derby – A race for vintage stock automobiles.
(9) Australian pursuit race for motorcycles.
(10) Blind-fold leap over man. “Assistant lays on racetrack while rider rides blindfolded down racetrack and leaps over him.”
(11) Crashing through a solid board wall consisting of one-inch pine boards.
(12) Another 10-minute game of the hazard type between 2 picked teams of daredevils.
(13) 9-lap Grand Final Sweepstakes race for motorcycles.
(14) A rollover car.
(15) Head-on collision between 2 cars traveling at 60 miles-per-hour at point of contact. This was the show’s finally and was always performed by two local drivers who were willing to furnish the car they drove. They also had to sign papers relieving Scott, his company and the venue of any liability. If more than two such drivers were available, the contestants would have to bid to see which two would perform the stunt for the least amount of money.
|
John Milton Croy was not a race car driver but he was a nephew of Ducky Scott’s (a son of Ducky’s sister, Mabel (Scott) Croy). Milton is shown here sitting in Ducky’s race car, the Scott special, after Ducky had stopped at the Croy home in Kansas City, Kansas to visit his sister and her family while on his way to a race in 1928. “The Scotts of Kent” by Virginia Elizabeth (Scott) McEntyre and Ruth Delana (Croy) Musil, c1990 Jeannie (Scott) White collection
|
August 20, 1934 3 – Cumberland Fairgrounds at Cumberland, Maryland
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
August 25, 1934 3 – Cambridge Fairgrounds at Cambridge, Vermont
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 3, 1934 3 – Schuylkill County Fairgrounds at Cressona, Pennsylvania
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 7, 1934 3 – Schuylkill County Fairgrounds at Cressona, Pennsylvania
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 21, 1934 3 – Licking County Fairgrounds at Newark, Ohio
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
October 6, 1934 3 – Lycoming County Fairgrounds at Hughesville, Pennsylvania
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
August 4, 1935 3 – Hancock County Fairgrounds at Greenfield, Indiana
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
|
Alfred “Ducky” Scott at age 60. “The Scotts of Kent” by Virginia Elizabeth (Scott) McEntyre and Ruth Delana (Croy) Musil, c1990 Richard Zimmerman collection
|
August 10, 1935 3 – Tompkins County Fairgrounds at Ithaca, New York
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils.
September 17, 1935 3 –Allegan County Fairgrounds at Allegan, Michigan
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 20, 1935 3 – Union County Fairgrounds at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 30, 1936 3 – Marshall County Fairgrounds at Blue Rapids, Kansas
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
September 29, 1937 3 – Marshall County Fairgrounds at Blue Rapids, Kansas
Ducky Scott’s Congress of Daredevils a, k. a. Ducky Scott’s American Daredevils
In the late 1930s, the Scotts split their stunt shows in two with Ducky operating half of the shows and Laura Scott operating the other half. One weekend, they both had shows scheduled in the same area and both of them had to be canceled due to rain. That took quite a financial tole on the Scotts and they decided to end the stunt show promotions for good. They moved back home to Topeka where Laura took a job working as a nurse at the Boys’ Industrial School.
Ducky Scott was a large man, standing 6 feet tall, weighing 273 pounds and wearing a 54-inch belt, when he registered for the draft in 1940. He was turned down for service in the military though, due to his old leg injuries.
Still a civilian, Scott took his instructor training at Chanute Field at Rantoul, Illinois in 1942 and then taught courses on aircraft engines at Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut beginning in 1943. His next such assignment was at Willow Run Air Force Base near Ypsilanti, Michigan where Ducky also worked as a civilian instructor and Laura worked as a nurse next door at the medical center at the Ford assembly plant. After the war ended in June of 1945, the Scott family moved back home to Topeka where Laura took a job as an industrial nurse at the Goodyear tire plant.
Later in the 1940s, Ducky and Laura reopened their American Directory Publishing Company in Topeka, Kansas. They also founded the American Coin Publishing Company and operated those until his retirement in 1961. He then joined the Topeka Camping Club and became a connoisseur of expensive motorhomes, owning and driving only the very best.
The Scotts were socially active, belonging to the Golden Rule Lodge No. 90, the AF & AM Arab Shrine, the Paternal Order of Eagles and the Kansas Telephone Association, all in Topeka. They also enjoyed driving luxury automobiles and playing poker.
Laura passed away in 1960 and is buried in Highland Cemetery at Scranton, Kansas. Ducky married his second wife, Norma Jean (Chilcoat) Olesen Scott (1928-2016), in 1963 and she was the mother of Ducky’s step-daughter, Claudia Ann (Oleson) Strahm. Ducky passed away in Topeka on November 1, 1988 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Topeka.
If you know anything more about Ducky Scott, please contact Bob Lawrence at: sprintguy@cox.net
“ ‘One of the youngest and most daring dirt track drivers in the middle west.’ This comment was taken from the Iola Register and referred to Alfred Scott, graduate of June ’24. Alfred drives a Scott Special that he built himself. Out of the 14 races that he entered this summer, he placed four firsts, six seconds and four thirds. He has built two racing cars besides the one he is driving now. He plans to make racing his life work.”
--- Page 2 of the October 28, 1927 issue of The High School World newspaper, Topeka, Kansas
This photo was taken in 1929 in front of the Superior Garage at 606 North Main Street in Winfield, Kansas, although the photographer is standing in front of the garage so it cannot be seen in this picture. Seated in the Superior special Hisso powered racing car is Alfred “Ducky” Scott. Standing, left to right are Robert Mervin “Bob” Maze of Topeka, Kansas and Thomas Clarence “Tom” Murie of Hays, Kansas. The men were in Winfield so Tom Murie could purchase the car above from the owner of the Superior Garage, Wendall A. Sparling (1896-1954). Note that Ducky Scott and Bob Maze were related to each other through Ducky’s mother’s family; the Teeds.
Larry Sullivan collection
* This was probably Ralph James Chrysler who was born in 1896 at Junction City, Kansas and died in 1963 in Los Angeles, California although some have speculated that “Ralph Chrysler” may have been a pseudonym used by Speck Heminger of Hastings, Nebraska when he competed in non-AAA sanctioned races.
** These were the first auto races run under floodlights in the state of Iowa.
Thank you:
Jeff Adams, Sandra Clayman, Sandy Coyle, Connie Lawrence, Frances Mettle, Richard Mettle, Susan Mettle and Trevon Richard