Curtis M. Scott

Curtis Matthew Scott (September 6, 1960 – August 19, 1992) was a software architect and board game designer known for his work on approximately thirty role-playing games and books primarily focused on Dungeons and Dragons. He attended the University of New Orleans and Carnegie Mellon University, received his Masters in Computer Science during which time he published works contributing to the field of software. Scott was accepted to the PhD program in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University just prior to his death on August 19, 1992, at the age of 31.[2]

Curtis Matthew Scott[1]
Born(1960-09-06)September 6, 1960
DiedAugust 19, 1992(1992-08-19) (aged 31)[1]
Resting placeMaple Hill Cemetery (Huntsville, Alabama)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationGame designer
SpouseMary

Biography

Curtis Matthew Scott was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 6, 1960, to Harold George Scott of Williams Arizona and Bettie Tabakin Scott of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the sixth of nine children.[2] His father, Dr. Harold George Scott was in the military and the family traveled to New Orleans (1967), and then Glenn Dale, Maryland (1969) where his father worked as the first Deputy Directory of the Environmental Protection Agency when it was created under the Nixon Administration in 1971, detailed as a commissioned officer of the United States Public Health Service. During this assignment Dr. Scott helped prepare portions of President Richard Nixon's first State of the Union Address, delivered January 21, 1970.[2]

The family returned to New Orleans (1972) where Curtis Scott attended grade school and then West Jefferson High School.[2][3] Scott skipped from first to third grade, and from third to fifth grade resulting in attending school with students two years older than him. Scott attended the University of New Orleans, entering college at 15 years of age under a hybrid high school/college program.

In 1992 Scott completed his Masters in Software Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.[4] In May 1992, three months prior to his death he was accepted to the PhD program in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University.[4]

Scott worked for a software firm in Mississippi and spent four months performing classified software-related work on a Navy ship off of the coast of South Korea (1980)., and authored key papers in the field of software on topics including software architecture, disconnected messaging, and breaking of software systems into components, approaches used in modern software systems including cloud-based systems.[5][6][7][8]

In addition to his work in the field of software, Scott authored approximately thirty role-playing games and books primarily focused on Dungeons and Dragons, and served as convention chairperson for CoastCon, which started in two rooms of a Holiday Inn hotel and grew to the largest science fiction convention in the southeast United States, eventually held and today still held at the Mississippi Coast Colosseum.[9][10]

Curtis Matthew Scott was killed in an automobile accident near Ravenna Ohio on August 19, 1992, at age 31 while on the way to a Gen Con/Origins game fair.[10] He was survived by his wife Mary and their son, Phillip.[10]

Career

Role Playing Games and Books

Curtis M. Scott wrote numerous role playing-related games and books including:

Prior to his death Scott accepted a major project for TSR's Dark Sun campaign world.[10]

CoastCon (Science fiction, Fantasy and Gaming convention)

For several years, Scott and his wife Mary organized the annual CoastCon gaming and science-fiction convention in Biloxi, Mississippi.[9][10], and Curtis served as convention chairperson for CoastCon, which started in two rooms of a Holiday Inn hotel and grew to the largest science fiction convention in the southeast United States, eventually held and today still held at the Mississippi Coast Colosseum.[9]

Contributions to the field of Software

Prior to his death in 1992 Curtis Scott produced key published works in the field of software engineering on topics including object oriented design, disconnected messaging, implicit invocation, and breaking of software systems into components, many of which concepts and approaches are in use in modern software systems including cloud-based systems.[12] Curtis Scott's published works in the field of software include:

In May 1992, three months prior to his death, Curtis Scott was accepted to the PhD program in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.[10]

The Carnegie Mellon University Institute for Software Research Master of Software Engineering Professional Programs Student Handbook is dedicated to Curtis M. Scott.[14]

Death

Curtis Matthew Scott was killed on August 19, 1992, at age 31, in an automobile accident on his way to the Gen Con/Origins game fair.[10] He was survived by his wife Mary and their son, Phillip, as well as immediate members of his family.[10]

References
  1. "Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKBK-KDJ : 30 June 2021), Curtis Matthew Scott, 1992.
  2. "Harold George and Bettie Scott Obituary (2016) The Times-Picayune". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  3. "West Jefferson High / Homepage". www.jpschools.org. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  4. "Curriculum Vitae". www.cs.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  5. "Reactive Integration for Traditional Programming Languages". ResearchGate. September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  6. "Experience with a Course on Architectures for Software Systems Part I: Course Description". Carnegie Mellon University. September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  7. Adding implicit invocation to traditional programming languages. May 21, 1993. pp. 447–455. ISBN 9780897915885. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  8. "Candidate Model Problems in Software Architecture". January 1995.
  9. "Mississippi Fandom: Biloxi, Coastcon: The Brief History". www.smithuel.net. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  10. Varney, Allen (November 1992). "In memoriam: Curtis M. Scott" (PDF). Dragon Magazine. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR (#187): 92.
  11. Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 220. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
  12. "Experience with a Course on Architectures for Software Systems Part I: Course Description". resources.sei.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  13. "Curriculum Vitae". www.cs.cmu.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  14. "Carnegie Mellon University Institute for Software Research Master's of Software Engineering Student Handbook" (PDF). Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
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