Frank Scott Papers (MS-00738)

Businessman and hotel owner Frank Scott came to Las Vegas with his family in 1936. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1920. His father was the storekeeper for the Union Pacific Railroad. After World War Two, where Scott served in the Army as a Second Lieutenant, he returned to Las Vegas and within two years purchased a roofing and flooring company. He also became owner of a wholesale building material company and a ready mix concrete plant. He served as chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of First Western Financial Corporation of Nevada, director of Nevada Power Company, president of the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Nevada Resort Association.

Scott had an interest in building an underground parking garage on the Union Pacific property. An official casually mentioned that a hotel would be ideal for that site. Scott, who always wanted to be a hotel owner, decided to pursue that idea. He formed the Scott Corporation with his partners Sam Boyd, Jackie Gaughan, and Howard Cannon; hence, the Union Plaza Hotel Casino became a reality in 1971, built only a short distance from where Scott's father had worked for the railroad.

In 1976 Scott and his partner Frank Maggio took over ownership and operation of the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada, which they were able to remodel and re-open in 1979. They remained owners for five years. Scott's son Rick was in charge of the day to day operations. In 1984 Frank and Rick Scott started KRLR Channel 21 television. The station offered 24 hours a day of free music videos, which they called Vusic 21, and also broadcast all the UNLV Runnin' Rebels' away games. The station was sold ten years later to a large firm from Los Angeles.

Frank Scott passed away in April of 2006.