The David R. Scott and Anne Lurton Scott Papers Are Now Available for Research

“The Rose Library is thrilled to add the Scott papers to our holdings that document spaceflight and the American experience during the Cold War,” says Jennifer Gunter King, the Director of the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. “These unique primary source materials are a perfect companion to the Apollo 15 Learning Hub created by the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship (ECDS) and Tracy to celebrate 50 years since the launch of Apollo 15. Thanks to the Rose Library’s Accessioning Archivist Meaghan O’Riordan for working diligently to make the materials available for research in time for the anniversary.”

The Apollo 15 Learning Hub assembles, preserves, and makes available primary source records of Apollo 15 for research, education, and history as an example of a unique human endeavor. Visit the website at: https://apollo15hub.org/

The David R. Scott and Anne Lurton Scott papers are now available for research. Scott, a NASA astronaut, served as Commander of Apollo 15 and was the seventh person to walk on the moon. The collection includes photographs, printed material, correspondence, memorabilia, and audiovisual material from 1963-1975. Tracy L. Scott, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Emory, donated the items to the library.

David Scott and Anne Lurton Ott, Scott’s first wife, were married in 1959. He was named a member of NASA’s third group of astronauts in 1963. Scott was selected to fly with Neil Armstrong on Gemini 8. In 1969 Scott served as command module pilot for Apollo 9. Due to his performance during these missions, he was named backup commander of Apollo 12. This allowed him to sit in the Mission Control room as Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. Scott along with Al Worden and James Irwin were named the crew of Apollo 15. That mission launched on July 26, 1971. The Lunar Module landed on the moon four days later and the lunar stay lasted almost 67 hours. The mission ended on August 7, 1971 when the Command Module landed in the Pacific Ocean.

The collection includes a variety of material documenting Scott’s career as an astronaut and the Scott family. The photographs capture NASA training, operations, missions as well as celebrations honoring astronauts. The printed materials—clippings from newspapers and magazines—document the frenzied public interest in information about astronauts and their families. Of particular interest is the memorabilia from the Scott family’s visit to the White House and stay at Camp David after the Apollo 15 mission. Another highlight is the correspondence sent to Scott from school children around the country. 

All of these materials together comprehend a remarkable inside look at a fascinating time in American history.

You can find more information about the Scott papers here: https://findingaids.library.emory.edu/documents/scott1511/

Written by Rose Library Assistant Director and Curator of Political, Cultural, and Social Movements Collections, Randy Gue, and Accessioning Archivist Meaghan O’Riordan.