Murray George Ross, (April 12, 1910 – July 20, 2000) was a Canadian sociologist, author, and academic administrator. He was the founding president of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

and served in that role from 1959 to 1970. Born in Sydney,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, the son of James Alway Ross and Sarah Agnes Kay, Ross received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

and

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

from

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...

in 1936. He received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree in sociology from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

in 1938. He did post-graduate work in sociology at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

in 1939 and in

Social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1949. He received a

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from the University of Toronto in 1971. In 1951, Ross was appointed an associate professor of Social Work at the University of Toronto. He became a Professor in 1955. From 1956 to 1957, he was an Executive Assistant to the President and was a Vice-President from 1957 to 1959. In 1959, he was appointed President of York University and served until 1970 when he became a Professor of Social Science. He retired in 1972.

Honours

In 1979, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

"in recognition of his innovative leadership in the field of higher education". He was awarded the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official Award, honour in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the A ...

in 1988. He was awarded the

Canadian Centennial Medal The Canadian Centennial Medal (french: Médaille du centenaire du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were ...

and the

125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal The 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (french: Médaille commémorative du 125e anniversaire de la Confédération du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the 125th anniversary of ...

. The Murray Ross Parkway, the Ross Building, and the Murray G. Ross Award at York University are named after him.

Selected works

* ''Religious Beliefs of Youth: A Study and Analysis of the Structure and Function of the Religious Beliefs of Young Adults, Based on a Questionnaire Sample of 1,935 Youth and Intensive Interviews with 100 Young People'' (Association Press, 1950) * ''The Y.M.C.A. in Canada: The Chronicle of a Century'' (Ryerson Press, 1951) * ''New Understandings of Leadership: A Survey and Application of Research'' with Charles E. Hendry (Association Press, 1957) * ''Case Histories in Community Organization'' (Harper, 1958) * ''The new university'' (University of Toronto Press, 1961) * ''New Universities in the Modern World'' (St. Martin's Press, 1966) * ''Community Organization; Theory, Principles, and Practice'' with B. W. Lappin (Harper & Row, 1967) * ''The University: The Anatomy of Academe'' (McGraw-Hill, 1976) * ''Canadian Corporate Directors on the Firing Line: On the Firing Line'' (McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1980) * ''The Way Must be Tried: Memoirs of a University Man'' (Stoddart, 1992)

References

External links

*
Murray Ross

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Murray 1910 births 2000 deaths Acadia University alumni Canadian non-fiction writers Canadian social work academics Columbia University alumni Members of the Order of Ontario Officers of the Order of Canada People from Sydney, Nova Scotia Presidents of York University University of Chicago alumni University of Toronto alumni Academic staff of the University of Toronto Writers from Toronto Academic staff of York University 20th-century non-fiction writers