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Part 1 begins with Bob Scott’s memories of his grandfather, Robert Walter Scott. Raised on a farm and intensely interested in agriculture, Robert Scott wanted to learn more about farming practices. However, North Carolina had no agricultural training program. As a result, he went to a school in New York State and returned full of ideas about new methods of propagating and raising crops. Often others in the area would ask his advice, and he became known as “Farmer Bob.”
Besides farming, Scott loved public service and felt obligated to serve his community. In 1888 he ran for a seat in the state legislature and was elected. In fact, he served several terms, alternatively as a senator or representative, until the early 20 th century. His service also caught the attention of Governor Charles Aycock, who appointed him to the State Board of Agriculture.
Scott’s love of public service was picked up by his children, most notably by his son Kerr. Kerr began his public career young, beginning with a position with the Farm Debt Administration. Kerr’s own three children would also carry on the Scott family’s public service legacy. Bob was the youngest of Kerr’s children. Much younger than his brother and sister, and rarely seeing his father because of travels, Bob spent most of his childhood either by himself or with his mother, whose career as a teacher helped him to appreciate the value of education.
Bob’s father’s travel schedule increased after he was elected Commissioner of Agriculture, since he had to travel to all of North Carolina’s counties. Bob fondly remembers one of his father’s more unconventional legacies as the founder of the “Chittlin Club,” a lunch club that began with Kerr Scott, Ralph Stephens and a group of their friends. The “club” grew to such numbers that it eventually became invitation-only and included some of the most prestigious political members in Raleigh. Stephens continued the club after Kerr Scott died, and it still meets once a year at the same restaurant.
In the late 1940s, Kerr Scott considered running for United States Senate. However, after asking several friends’ advice and receiving little encouragement, he decided to run for governor instead. Scott’s own experience as a farm owner in Alamance County shaped his political platform, and he concentrated on improving communication systems and schools in the rural areas.
After graduating from college, Bob enlisted in the Army. One of his commanding officers recommended him to the Counterintelligence Corps, where he stayed until the end of World War II. After the war, Bob returned to his father’s farm and briefly entertained joining the SBI, but because of a policy about leaving his county of residence, he decided not to pursue it. After his term as governor ends, Kerr Scott wins Willis Smith’s United States Senate seat. However, his term is very discouraging as he realizes, as a new senator, how little say he has in policy.
Bob’s own public career began after he and his wife were chosen to be one of five outstanding Grange couples in the country. Shortly afterwards, Bob was elected as Master of the North Carolina Grange and served on several commissions, including the United Forces of Education, which helped him to identify the needs of rural schools.
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