A Historical Hobby

By Terry Tush

It’s safe to say that Kelle Scott is probably the only licensed cannoniere in Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business. But when she steps behind a cannon, it’s all for fun.

Scott, a coordinator for outreach programs for the Center for Executive and Professional Development in the Spears School, has been participating in Civil War re-enactments for seven years.

It takes six people to handle a Civil War-era cannon; Scott pulls the primer that fires the weapon in the make-believe battles. The cannons fire black powder but no ammunition.

She and her fiancé, Doug DeBord, have traveled to re-enactments in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to participate in a variety of ways.

“I have enjoyed history but not as much as Doug. Doug has really drawn me into it,” Scott says. “I’m a huge old picture lover. I don’t care if it’s photos of my family or whatever, I just love looking at old pictures. So I do have a little bit of a soft spot for history.”

The pair began as participants in fur trade era re-enactments, but it didn’t take long to change their allegiance upon visiting their first Civil War re-enactment outside Houston. “As soon as the cannons went off, we were hooked. I turned to Doug and said, ‘I want to do this,’ ” Scott says.

They joined the 25th Dismounted Cavalry re-enactment unit in 2009. The participants dress up in authentic Civil War clothing — Scott says often they’ll be in their North outfits one day and dress as the South the next — throughout the weekend, with battles usually scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays.

“The battle is semi-scripted, with the leaders deciding that on this day the South is going to win, and the next day the North is going to win,” says Scott, who has her own Hawkins black powder rifle for use in the battles.

The two often now spend most of their weekends as settlers, manning Grizzly’s Trading Post, a Civil War merchandise business they opened in 2010. In a tent on the re-enactment grounds, Scott and DeBord sell the products necessary to be a Civil War re-enactment participant, including clothing, shoes and boots, pottery, tin ware, guns and knives.

“Sometimes I miss participating [in the battles], but it is so much fun to see people come in and enjoy the products,” she says.

Scott compares the re-enactments to campouts with thousands of friends. But she also believes it’s important for people to learn what role the Civil War played in creating the United States we live in today.

“The people are amazing,” she says. “Watching the kids is fun; their eyes just light up. They’re learning the history behind it. More people died in the Civil War than any other war in the United States, so I think it’s important that people know and remember it.”

As a CEPD program coordinator, Scott oversees several programs for the Spears School’s highly successful outreach program, which offers nearly 200 programs and courses to more than 14,000 people each year.

“I absolutely love working with the CEPD team. We have such dynamic personalities, and I learn something every day by working with my co-workers,” says Scott, who coordinates such programs as the Women’s Business Leadership program, the Oklahoma Economic Outlook Conference, the Executive Education Partnership Program, the Alliance for Sports Business meeting and the Spears School’s Annual Golf Classic.

“The programs we coordinate are also exciting, as it brings us closer in working with Oklahoma businesses. I would say working with people is a highlight of my profession, and I cherish the lessons I learn every day,” she says.

Julie Weathers, director of the Center for Executive and Professional Development, is pleased that Scott returned to OSU in 2012. Scott worked for OSU Fire Protection Publications in the 1990s before moving to Texas and returned to Perkins (where she grew up and attended high school) a few years ago.

“Kelle is a very engaging person and shows great interest in her programs,” Weathers says. “She shows excitement about the participants, speakers and activities she is involved in and is a great team player. Kelle enjoys her job and expresses it and shows her enthusiasm on a daily basis, and she has a great sense of humor. We are thankful to have her as a program coordinator in our center and a member of the Spears School of Business staff.”