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To honor, recognize, and celebrate the life of Professor Charles O. Ross, and to extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends on the occasion of his passing Tuesday, February 12, 2013.
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WHEREAS, Professor Charles O. Ross was born January 16, 1934, in Bessemer, Alabama; he attended Wenona High School in Birmingham and graduated from Stillman College and the University of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Professor Ross joined the faculty of The Ohio State University as an Associate Professor in the College of Social Work, where he received the Outstanding Professor Award and served as the inaugural chairperson of the Black Studies Department; and
WHEREAS, Professor Ross engaged in mass community mobilization and grass roots activism at The Ohio State University and the Columbus community at large during a period of social upheaval in the city of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, He was instrumental in raising community awareness on issues such as targeted law enforcement, the use of excessive force, and the recruitment and retention of African-American students, faculty, and staff to foster diversity and inclusion at The Ohio State University; and
WHEREAS, Professor Ross retired from The Ohio State University as an emeritus faculty member in 2006 after thirty-five years of service, and distinguished himself in the Columbus community as an educator, community activist, and public speaker; and
WHEREAS, He leaves to cherish his memory his loving and devoted wife of 54 years, Ruth (Forte) Ross; he is survived by his two sons, Charles and Marcus Ross; brother, Hollis "Bobby" Ross, Sr.; sister, John Alma Gould; daughter-in-law, Valeria Ross; and grandchildren, Courtney and Tonell, and a host of other relatives and friends; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS
That this Council does hereby extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends on the occasion of his passing.