ALTER SCOTT is one of "the big four" in Disciple history. He ranks with Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone among the most creative personalities of this distinctive American religious movement. Specifically, he fashioned its evangelistic method, the instrument of its amazing expansion. His spectacular success as an evangelist on the Western Reserve, more than any other factor, led to the formation of the Disciples into a separate communion. He elevated the simple confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to a central position in the gospel, and under the name of the "Golden Oracle," advocated it as the creed of Christianity and the basis of Christian union.

      Like so many of these religious pioneers, he pursued his purpose through a number of vocational channels. He was equally effective as teacher, evangelist, minister, editor, and author; and he did not turn from one to the other of these instruments but used them all simultaneously! The volcanic energy which welled up from the burning core of his purpose is staggering.

      Prior to the present volume, only one other biography of Scott has ever been written, the one by William Baxter nearly seventy-five years ago. A new biography is offered at this time because 1946 is the sesquicentennial of Scott's birth, and because the day is now at hand for recapturing his evangelistic passion.

      While writing this book, I have leaned heavily upon Baxter's work, but I have also used many sources not consulted by him. In many cases these sources would [5] have remained unknown to me without information supplied by others, and, even when known, some would have been inaccessible without the aid of my friends. Numerous persons have devoted patient hours to research and have been eyes and ears for me in far places. It would take many pages to give a just account of their assistance, and because I do not have those pages, I am forced to do no more than list their names:

      R. J. Bamber, E. Hugh Behymer, B. IT. Bruner, Mrs. E. E. Cabell, Jouett Taylor Cannon, Lin D. Cartwright, Frances A. Cook, Nancy Cowan, Enos E. Dowling, Frank N. Gardner, Winfred E. Garrison, Irvin T. Green, Ruth M. Hall, Roemol Henry, Harold F. Humbert, Mrs. Anna Gray Looney, George N. Mayhew, R. H. Miller, Raymond P. Morris, J. Edward Moseley, C. D. Pantle, C. Lynn Pyatt, Henry K. Shaw, Claude E. Spencer, O. P. Spiegel, Virginia Stevenson, Rhodes Thompson, F. M. Tinder, Joseph C. Todd, Eva Jean Wrather, and Mrs. Robert M. Yancey. I have had valuable secretarial assistance from Margaret Strehan and Harriet Thomas, and Mrs. Elsa Myers copied out long passages from my research and typed the whole manuscript twice. My wife, DeLoris, has aided me constantly throughout the whole process; among other things, she traced, page by page, through forty volumes of the Millennial Harbinger to catch every Walter Scott reference. President W. H. Cramblet and Dean B. R. Weimer of Bethany College deserve much credit, also, in arranging a teaching schedule for me which leaves time for research and writing.

D. E. S.      

Bethany, West Virginia
August, 1946

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