The Education of Borden Scott: What's In A Name?

Before I dig into Borden Scott’s time at Atlanta Baptist Seminary (which became Atlanta Baptist College while he was a student, and then Morehouse College later on), I have to address a bit of a mystery. Otherwise, it may seem like I’m playing fast and loose with the records!

I mentioned in an earlier blog post, almost as an aside, that Sydney Borden Scott seemed to prefer to go by his middle name, Borden, rather than his first. Both his World War I and II Draft Registration Cards, for which he would have provided the information, list him as “Borden Scott.” 

 

 

WWI Draft Registration Card

WWII Draft Registration Card

When he applies for a Social Security Number, he gives Borden Scott as the “Full Name You Use in Work or Business,” and Sydney Borden Scott as the “Full Name Given You At Birth.”

Application for Social Security Number

Even his death certificate lists him as S. Borden Scott.

Certificate of Death

He does appear as Sydney Borden Scott or S.B. Scott in other documents, generally less personal ones, and in some – particularly city directories - he actually appears as both, with one listing for Sydney/Sidney and one for Borden. (I would include examples, but the font in the city directories is *so small* that it gets blurry when I enlarge it!)

So, why then, does he seem to be known for the first several recorded years of his time at Atlanta Baptist Seminary, as “A. Sidney Scott?”

Catalogue of Atlanta Baptist College, 1897-1898. Accessed via HathiTrust

Catalogue of Atlanta Baptist College, 1897-1898, p. 33. Accessed via HathiTrust

List of Alumni, Catalogue of Atlanta Baptist College, 1898-1899, p. 38. Accessed via HathiTrust

The short answer is: I don’t know (yet). I have no idea what the A stands for. Could it be a typo? Maybe, but it appears over 2 years of school records, spanning his time in two different programs at the school. Then, in his second year in the College Course, he becomes Sidney B. Scott, and remains as such throughout all future years of alumni listings I can find.

Catalogue of Atlanta Baptist College, 1899-1900, p. 34. Accessed via HathiTrust

So, I can’t tell you what the “A” stood for, where it went, or where the “B” or “Borden” came from. (And, the new - or old, rather - initials haven’t helped me figure out where he was born, either. at least not yet.) I can tell you that if he chose to change his name because he didn’t like his previous initials, I would totally understand! Go ahead – reread his name…

Okay, so given these two names, how can I be sure that A. Sidney Scott and Sidney B. Scott are the same person at Atlanta Baptist Seminary / Atlanta Baptist College? Here’s why I feel pretty confident:

1. The two names never overlap. The 1897-98 and 1898-99 school catalogs list A. Sidney Scott / A.S. Scott. From the 1899-1900 catalog on, Sidney B. Scott is listed and there is no A. Sidney Scott.

2. Their academic histories match. A. Sidney Scott graduates from the Academic Course in 1898. Alumni records show Sidney B. Scott graduating from the Academic Course in 1898.

3. Their academic chronologies align. A. Sidney Scott is a Freshman in the College Course in the 1898-1899 school year. Sidney B. Scott is a Sophomore in the College Course in the 1899-1900 school year.

4. They share the same hometown. Both are from Sparta, Georgia. (Note that this is where Borden’s father and half-siblings were living with their mother, Cherry, in 1870. You'll also see it as his birthplace on the snippet from his Certificate of Death, above.)

5. There are no other reasonable candidates for transformation. There is no else it’s likely that A. Sidney Scott became after 1898-1899, and no other candidates for who Sidney B. Scott would have been prior to 1899-1900.

So, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it, until or unless new evidence makes me re-evaluate. What I really wish is that I could find him in the 1900 Census, but I can’t, by either name. I may need to try a few more search tricks!

In any case, this should make it clear why you’ll see me using records for A. Sidney Scott or A.S. Scott in my next post(s) on Borden Scott’s academic journey.

Do you know anything about Borden’s many names? I am ALL ears – please share in the comments below!