Elisabeth Scott Bocock


Elisabeth Scott Bocock was an American patron of the arts. Known for her philanthropy and historic preservation, she was active in founding a number of organizations in Richmond, Virginia.

Personal life

She was born in Richmond, Virginia. She was one of five children. When Elisabeth was six years old, her parents, Elisabeth Strother Scott and Frederic Scott, built a home at 909 West Franklin Street in Richmond, VA. The family purchased the plot of land from the Lewis Ginter estate in 1907 and moved into the new construction in 1911. Today, The Scott House is owned by Virginia Commonwealth University and referred to as the VCU Scott House.
The young Elisabeth Scott attended Miss Jennie Ellett's School and graduated from St. Timothy's School in Stevenson, Maryland. In 1928, Elisabeth married John Holmes Bocock who was an attorney in Richmond. Mr. Bocock died in 1958.
After her husband died, Bocock enrolled in classes at the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women. During the next decade, Mrs. Bocock attended classes at Mary Baldwin College, College of William and Mary, and the University of Virginia. She finished her schooling by receiving a liberal arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1969, VCU’s first degree-granting year, Elisabeth Scott Bocock received the first diploma handed out at the commencement ceremony, a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Patron of the arts

Later in life, Bocock was recognized by multiple organizations for her contributions to the city of Richmond, its cultural life, and its people. Recognition came from VCU, the Junior League, and the Federated Arts Council, among others.
Bocock, a lover of arts and historic preservation, applied her money and talents to a variety of related causes. She was a founder of the Richmond Symphony, the William Byrd Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, the Historic Richmond Foundation, the Early Virginia Vehicular Museum, the Hand Workshop, and Richmond-on-the-James.
Bocock is credited with setting in motion Richmond's agenda for historic preservation. During her life, she collected at least 60 horse-drawn carriages and donated them to Maymont Foundation in 1975.

Death and legacy

Bocock's obituary ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch on December 10, 1985. She was 84 years old at the time of her death on December 9, 1985:
The following is an excerpt from an article about Bocock's contributions to the city of Richmond, published on December 12, 1985 in the Richmond Times Dispatch:
A more lengthy article was published in the Richmond Times Dispatch on December 16, 1985, and included the following excerpts, providing a sense of Bocock's personality and philanthropy and including quotes from her two daughters, Mary Buford Hitz and Bessie Carter: