Scovell was named dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment there shortly before his death.

[2] Scovell was named an assistant professor of chemistry in 1877, receiving a Master of science the next year.

He co-founded a method of clarifying cane sugar juice, but was forced to leave the university in 1882 because professors were expected to abstain from profiting from their research.

James Ben Ali Haggin commissioned Scovell to purchase cattle for his Elmendorf Farm.

[5] He married Nancy Davis, a member of his university class, in Monticello, Illinois on September 8, 1880; they had no children.