Ralph D. Scott was born February 2, 1914 at McCaskill, Hempstead County, Arkansas. After graduating from high school in Prescott, Arkansas in 1913, he received a B.A. degree from Hendrix College in 1935 with a major in chemistry. He later received a Bachelor of Commercial Science degree in accounting from Southeastern University in Washington D.C.
After college, Scott joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, becoming a special agent on May 15, 1939. He retired for the FBI in 1964.
From 1964 to 1967 Scott taught chemistry and physics at Camden High School. In 1967 he joined the faculty of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden.
Republican Governor Winthrop Rockefeller named Scott as Director of the Arkansas State Police on February 28, 1968, following the popular and controversial Lynn Davies. Scott was known for his professionalism and strong emphasis upon non-political law enforcement. He resigned effective April 30, 1971, after serving a few months under the new Democratic governor, Dale Bumpers.
For a short time after leaving the State Police, Scott served as Assistant Administrator and Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Alcohol Safety Action Project for Pulaski County. On February 28, 1973 Scott retired again, and moved back to Camden. For a short time, he served as acting Police Chief for the city of Camden.
During 1979-1980, Scott served as a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention. He is a supporter and member of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is testimony of Scott’s strong support of individual liberty. For several years, he frequently wrote letters to the daily newspapers, many of them dealing with law enforcement and civil liberties.
Ralph Scott is married to Ruth Hirsh Scott and they have one son, Ralph Junior, a faculty member of Hendrix College. The Scotts live in retirement in Conway.
Box 1
File 1 – Personal and Biographical Data
File 2 – Tenure as Director of Arkansas State Police, 1968-1971
File 3 – Correspondence, 1968
File 4 – Correspondence, 1969
File 5 – Correspondence, 1970
File 6 – Correspondence, 1971
File 7 – Correspondence, 1972
File 8 – Correspondence, 1973-1974
File 9 – Report: “Arkansas State Police Activities, 1967-1970”
File 10- Report: “Arkansas State Police Plans for 1971”
File 11- Report: “Arkansas State Police Project Goals for 1971”
File 12- Report: “Arkansas State Police” c. 1970
File 13- Publications, Presentations, Speeches
File 14- Book Manuscript: “The Chief Is Not God”
File 15- Camden Chief of Police Date, 1974-1975
File 16- Documents Relating to Governor Orval E. Faubus and the State Police, 1955-1963
File 17- News paper Clippings and Ephemera
File 18- Photographs
Env 1 – Picture of Dale Bumpers, c. 1973
Env 2 – Picture of Winthrop Rockefeller, c. 1969
Env 3- Picture of Col. Ralph Scott at Catpial, c. 1972
Env 4 – Picture of three State Troopers, c. 1970
Env 5 – Picture of Award Banquet in Shreveport, LA., c. 1972
Env 6 – Picture of Col. Ralph Scott, c. 1972
Env 7 – Picture of Col. Ralph Scott, c. 1972
Env 8 – Picture of Col. Ralph Scott, c. 1972
File 19- FBI Letters
End of Box 1
End of Collection