Joe Scott
Born: 1916 in Cleveland, Ohio
Died: May 25, 1971 in Pepper Pike, Ohio
Family: Wife: Patricia. Sons: James and William.
Athletic highlights
Elyria High School (1933-36)
Track and field
1936: Tied for third in pole vault and placed fourth in the 120-yard high hurdles at the Class A (big school) state meet.
1935-36: Two-time Lakewood Regional champ for pole vault (11-5 5/8 and 11-10, meet record in ’36) and high jump (5-8.5 and 5-10), plus also regional champ for 120-yard hurdles in 1936 (15.0)
Basketball
1935-36: Forward for the Class A state-qualifying basketball team.
Western Reserve University (1936-40)
1938 and ’39: Won back-to-back titles at U.S. Decathlon Championships. Scott scored 6,671 points to win it over Virginia’s Ken Rathbun (6,276) in 1939 at Cleveland, 145 points better than his winning total a year earlier at New York City.
At Cleveland, Scott won pole vault (13-5), 110-meter hurdles (15.2), long jump (23-0.25) and high jump (6-0). His other marks were: discus (116-11), javelin (150 feet), 1,500 meters (5:40.3), 100 meters (11.2), shot put (40-6) and 400 meters (55.3). Most of his marks were an improvement from a year earlier.
At New York’s Randall Island, Scott won pole vault (11-8), javelin (152 feet), 100 meters (11.2) and high jump (5-10). His other marks were: 110-meter hurdles (15.6), discus (126 feet), javelin (152 feet), long jump (21-9), shot put (39-8) and 400 meters (55.2).
Up to that point in time, Scott was one of only two athletes to have won the U.S. Decathlon Championships multiple times. He was a favorite to win it again at the 1940 U.S. Olympic Trials, but the 1940 national decathlon event slated again for Cleveland was canceled because World War II forced the cancellation of the 1940 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Scott compiled 669 points in his track career for Western Reserve University and also played basketball. Among his all-time top track marks were 9.6 for the 100-yard dash, 14.4 for the 120-yard hurdles, 44 feet for shot put and 156 feet for discus.
Professional basketball
1945-46: Scott played one season as a center-forward for the Cleveland Allmen Transfers of the NBL (National Basketball League) Eastern Division. He averaged 2.5 points per game coming off the bench.
Hall of fame
1972: Elyria Sports Hall of Fame
1975: Case Western Reserve University Spartan Club Hall of Fame
1980: Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame
Military career
1941-45: United States Army
Professional career
1959-71: Plant superintendent, Joseph Dyson & Son Manufacturing Co.
Education
1936: Elyria High School
1940: Western Reserve University