A portion of the roadway on County Road 200 West from State Road 28 to Barner Street will be renamed Roy Scott Parkway on Friday, October 27 at 2 p.m. in honor of former police chief, mayor, youth sports coach and community leader Roy Scott.According to Street Superintendent Jason Forsythe who spearheaded the event, the street dedication is a visible, tangible way of honoring and remembering Scott as a man who was a dedicated public servant and community leader.
“We lost Roy on Christmas Day in 2013 and with his passing, we lost a community member who dedicated his life to various leadership roles ranging from mayor to youth baseball coach. His love of Frankfort and his devotion to his family, friends and fellow residents was evident in the many ways he contributed to and gave back to his hometown.
“Dedicating the Roy Scott Parkway is a way to keep Roy’s memory alive and to recognize all he did for the Frankfort community,” Forsythe said.
A 1957 graduate of Frankfort Senior High School, Scott graduated from the Police Academy in 1969 and from the FBI National Academy in 1979. He worked for the Frankfort Police Department for 23 ½ years, serving as police chief for eight of those years. During that time, he also served as the school liaison officer for Clinton County schools for ten years. He retired from the Police Department in 1992.
From 2000-2004, Scott served as mayor of Frankfort and was instrumental in the annexation of the Industrial Park into the City.
According to Mayor Chris McBarnes, Scott’s visionary leadership in knowing the importance of annexing the Industrial Park provided a much-needed boost to Frankfort’s economic development health.
“Roy understood the value and importance of making the Industrial Park an integral part of our City. He led the way in bringing an increased tax base to our local economy while spurring job growth and retention. We owe our momentum today to what he envisioned all those years ago when he led the City,” McBarnes said.
Scott was a co-owner and operator of Scott’s Line Painting and a school bus driver for Frankfort Community Schools. A youth director, he was a member of Hope United Methodist Church and was very involved with Clinton County Special Olympics.
Scott played fast pitch softball until he was 50 years old and was twice honored in the Indiana Softball Hall of Fame: as MVP in 1972 and Most Valuable Pitcher in 1982. His team won the Softball State Championship four times.
“Roy coached Little League, Babe Ruth and was a volunteer coach for the Frankfort Girls Softball Team. He also was Clinton County youth director in 1972. We would be hard pressed to find a man who gave more unselfishly through public service and volunteering than Roy Scott,” McBarnes said.
According to Forsythe, Scott’s widow, Pat, and his family will join City officials at the October 27 dedication ceremony. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the event.