WMU Home > WMU News

WMU News

WMU News on Twitter

Frank S. Scott

Nov. 10, 2010

Dr. Frank S. Scott, an internationally respected expert in industrial and vocational education and former Western Michigan University faculty member, died Nov. 5. He was 87.

Photo of Dr. Frank S. Scott.Scott came to WMU in 1956 and retired with emeritus status in 1983 as a professor of industrial engineering. He served as chair of the Department of Engineering and Technology from 1973 to 1976, as well as took several leaves of absence to work overseas on consulting assignments with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Those assignments included a one-person project in 1980, when Scott spent six months in Egypt working in partnership with WMU, the Egyptian Ministry of Education and U.S. AID. The project included recommending and helping to implement procedural changes within the education ministry and several vocational-technical schools to update their managerial, administrative and curricular operations.

Scott had similar assignments in Egypt, Vietnam and Turkey, working either individually or as part of project teams. He also was chief of party from 1960 to 1962 for WMU's U.S. AID project that established a technical college in Ibadan, Nigeria.

In addition, Scott served for a time as a research consultant for the state of Michigan and was a longtime senior industrial consultant for southwest Michigan companies in the areas of foreman training, industrial safety, time and cost utilization, and management and executive development.

In 1985, he was asked by the International Executive Service Corp of Boston to serve as a liaison between industry and technical schools in the Philippines. He developed a supervision management curriculum there that was named the nation's top such program in 2007.

Scott earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Purdue University and a doctoral degree from Michigan State University. He served in the European Theater as a C-47 Troop Carrier pilot in the Army Air Force during World War II, then joined the Air Force Reserves. He retired from the Reserves as a major after having served as a liaison officer for southwest Michigan high schools and the Air Force Academy.

A memorial reception will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, in the lounge at Wyndham Apartments, 2300 Portage St. A private interment will be held in Ft. Custer National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Amber Place, a new dementia wing in Directors Hall at Heritage Community of Kalamazoo.

Share |

Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
(269) 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/news