Ralph Lee Scott, July 23, 1942 – October 29, 2022

On behalf of his friends and colleagues who knew and loved him, we are sad to share the news that Ralph Lee Scott passed away on Saturday, October 29, following a fall earlier in the month. Ralph joined the J.Y. Joyner Library faculty at East Carolina University in 1970. At the time of his death, he was Rare Books Curator at Joyner Library. During his more than 50 years at ECU, he obtained the rank of full professor and served in numerous leadership roles in the library and university Faculty Senate committees. He was active in the ECU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors and served as a University of North Carolina Faculty Assembly Delegate and as a faculty advisor at ECU. Ralph also served on the Board of Directors of the Historical Society of North Carolina and the North Carolina Library Association, as Chair and Trustee of the Sheppard Memorial Library Board of Trustees, and Brewster Award Chair for the Association of North Carolina Historians. Ralph documented an important part of North Carolina history in his 2007 book, The Wilmington Shipyard: Welding a Fleet for Victory in World War II. One of his most enduring contributions was as long-time editor, editorial board member and regular columnist for North Carolina Libraries, the official peer-reviewed publication of the North Carolina Library Association. Ralph will be dearly missed by the ECU community and colleagues throughout the state and beyond.

Our thoughts are with Ralph’s family and friends during this difficult time.

View the Obituary for Ralph Scott here.