Notable people · Photographer · Founder · Sports Promoter
Myron E. Scott
Myron Scott, a Dayton Daily News photographer, organized the first Dayton soap box race in August 1933 and the first All-American race in 1934. Chevrolet sponsored it, and from 1935 the championship moved to Akron, where Derby Downs was built in 1936. He later named the Chevrolet Corvette.
At a glance
- Born
- 1907-09-16
- Died
- 1998-10-04
- Known as
- Photographer, Founder, Sports Promoter
- Organizations
- Dayton Daily News, Chevrolet
Life story
Myron Scott was born in Camden, Ohio, in 1907. He worked for the Dayton Daily News after school and learned photography, and his pictures appeared in Life.
In 1933, as chief photographer, he saw boys racing homemade carts downhill. He turned it into an organized contest and got the copyright.
By 1934 he persuaded 50 cities to take part, with champions racing in Dayton. Chevrolet sponsored it from 1935, and later races were run at Akron.
He later worked for Chevrolet and in 1953 proposed the name Corvette, taken from a fast ship. He died in 1998.
Timeline
- 1907-09-16: Born (Camden, OH) source
- 1933: Organizes soap box races (Dayton, OH) source
- 1934: 50 cities take part; champions race in Dayton (Dayton, OH) source
- 1935: Chevrolet sponsors; later races at Akron (Akron, OH) source
- 1953: Names the Chevrolet Corvette (Michigan (not stated)) source
- 1998-10-04: Dies ((not stated)) source
What Myron is known for
- Founded the All-American Soap Box Derby, Dayton 1933-34
- All-American Soap Box Derby (1934)
- Photographs in Life
Inventions and firsts
- Soap Box Derby (1933-1936)
Honors and things named for them
- Credited as creator of the All-American Soap Box Derby
- Namer of the Corvette
Ohio places
Where Myron E. Scott was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Camden, Preble County ZIP 45311 · Camden · Preble County
- Worked: Dayton, Montgomery County (Burkhardt Hill, Dayton) ZIP 45402 · Dayton · Montgomery County
- Worked: Akron, Summit County ZIP 44308 · Akron · Summit County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: Wikipedia says he was from Camden, Ohio, while other accounts call him a Dayton native. Sources also differ on whether he moved to Akron in 1934 or 1935.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Myron Scott (Wikipedia) life, derby, Corvette