Peter L. and Clara M. Scott Gift Supports New Mechanical Engineering Building

The Ohio State University has announced a gift of $10 million from Peter L.and Clara M. “Claire” Scott of Lake Toxaway, N.C., to support a new facility for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In recognition of their longtime support of Ohio State and their ongoing advocacy for the College of Engineering, the new facility will be named the Peter L. and Clara M. Scott Laboratory.

“I am always gratified by the intense loyalty of our alumni," said James C. Williams, dean of the College of Engineering. "Peter and Claire epitomize this loyalty, for which I am most grateful.”

“The Scott Laboratory, and the accompanying mechanical engineering capital campaign, will provide the environment and the resources which will enable us to achieve a premier national ranking among mechanical engineering departments,” said K. “Cheena” Srinivasan, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “The quality of the infrastructure for teaching and research will be enhanced, strengthening our ability to recruit high-ability undergraduate and graduate students, as well as talented faculty and staff. These are the ingredients for excellence in our collective mission of scholarship, instruction, and service.”

Approved in 1998, the $72.5 million Scott Laboratory Project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2007. Designed to improve the efficacy of teaching and research, the new facility's nearly 131,000 assignable square feet of space will provide a supportive, inviting, and comfortable environment for students, as well as for faculty and staff members.

“The goals outlined in our Academic Plan were designed to enhance Ohio State's standing as one of the world's truly great universities. The Peter L. and Clara M. Scott Laboratory will allow us to make significant progress toward realizing the goals of the Academic Plan,” said Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook.

The Scott Laboratory will feature attractive student areas, including a large student lounge, adjoining rooms for student organizations and activities, and lockers where students can store their books and other belongings while they're in class; instructional, research, and computer laboratories; state-of-the-art classrooms; a large auditorium; a multi-story atrium and elevated walkway; a distance learning center; faculty and administrative offices; and conference rooms. Of the total project cost, $20 million will be raised from private sources; the remainder will be requested from the State of Ohio.

The Scotts believe that Ohio State has played an important role in their success in life, and they wanted to give something back. “My experiences at Ohio State were major contributors to any success I might have enjoyed during my business career,” Peter said. “Other graduates should think back about how they got to where they are today. Their success can often be credited to their education. By giving back, they can help many students accomplish their educational goals and reach their goals for the future.”

“It's a great feeling to know that your gift will go a long way to help others. And by helping to provide a world-class facility, we are also helping to recruit world-class students,” the Scotts added.

Born in Bellaire, Ohio, and raised in nearby Shadyside, Peter Scott joined the Navy after high school and later attended Ohio State on the G.I. Bill. He met Claire, an education major, on a blind date in 1947 and they married the following year. After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering in 1949, he went to work for Foster Transformer Company, which was building power transformers for the first television sets. His design work caught the eye of customer Geophysical Services, Inc., the forerunner of Texas Instruments, which recruited him to work in Dallas. After nearly three years there, at the age of 25, he left to start the first of three entrepreneurial ventures, Hermetic Seal Transformer Company, in his garage. The company grew quickly and was acquired in 1957 by Dresser Industries, where he served as president of Dresser Electronics until 1963. In 1964, after spending 18 months living on his Florida yacht with Claire and their two sons, he founded Scott Electronics, which was eventually acquired by NCR Corporation, where he became vice president. Later, he left NCR and joined United Technologies Corporation (UTC), first as president of Norden Systems and later, as UTC's executive vice president. In 1983, he left to form Technology Transitions Inc. (TTI), a high-tech venture capital firm, and served on several corporate boards. In 1985, he became CEO of Emhart Corporation, which merged with Black & Decker, from which he retired as chairman in 1990.

Peter Scott received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Ohio State University College of Engineering in 1986, as well as an honorary doctorate in business administration in 1995. He and Claire have volunteered on behalf of Ohio State's National Major Gift Council for East Coast Florida and have hosted several events for volunteers, alumni, and friends of the university.

The Scotts' past support of Ohio State includes a 1987 gift to establish the Clara M. and Peter L. Scott Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering
Education, which recognizes outstanding senior faculty members for excellence in teaching, with emphasis on effective innovation.

Their most recent gift ranks among the largest single gifts to The Ohio State University in its history. The others are:
* $30 million, Michael E. Moritz, to support the Michael E. Moritz College of Law
* $25 million, Leslie H. Wexner, to support the Wexner Center for the Arts
* $20 million, Max M. Fisher, to support the Max M. Fisher College of Business
* $20 million, Richard J. Solove, to support the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
* $12.5 million, Jerome Schottenstein Family, to support the Jerome Schottenstein Center and Value City Arena
* $10 million, Davis Foundation, to support the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute
* $10 million, Austin E. Knowlton, to support the Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture
* $10 million, Elizabeth M. "Libby" Ross, to support the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital

Support for the Peter L. and Clara M. Scott Laboratory is part of Ohio State's ongoing fund-raising efforts in support of the Academic Plan.

** All namings subject to approval by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees

Gina Langen, director of communications, The Ohio State University College of Engineering, (614)688-4423 or langen.2@osu.edu