Robert J. (Bob) Ross is Chairman and CEO of

Inasmuch Foundation Inasmuch Foundation is a grant-making foundation based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It provides financial contributions within the community and civic engagement, education, human services, and journalism fields. Grantmaking within co ...

. Founded in 1982 by

Edith Kinney Gaylord Edith Kinney Gaylord (March 5, 1916 – January 28, 2001), also referred to as Edith Gaylord Harper, was an American journalist and philanthropist. Early life She was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 5, 1916, to parents Inez and E. K. Ga ...

awards $25 million plus in grants each fiscal year to nonprofits supporting initiatives in community and civic engagement, education, human services, and journalism.

Career & Education

Ross joined

in 2003 as Vice President and Executive Director of

and the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation. In 2005, Ross became President and CEO, and in 2014, the corporate entities merged and the

Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation (EEJF) was a grant-making foundation based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that provided grants to journalism institutions throughout the United States The United States of America (USA), also kno ...

became a wholly owned subsidiary of

. In 2019, Ross was elected to Chairman and CEO. Thanks to Bob’s involvement in the expansion of Educare to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

in 2009, he earned a reputation as an education advocate with the moniker “Mr. Education.” Under Bob’s leadership, Inasmuch Foundation reached a major milestone in 2023 when the distribution of grant funding surpassed $350 million, the amount of founder

’s original contribution. Prior to his time at Inasmuch Foundation, Ross was employed as an attorney with the Oklahoma City law firm McAfee & Taft. He is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in

and

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. At W&L, he was a co-chairman of the 1996 Mock Convention, which correctly predicted that

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...

would receive the Republican presidential nomination. After attending W&L, he received his J.D. from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

in 1999.

Community Involvement

In 2000, Ross was an alternate delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

, representing the Oklahoma Republican party on the floor of the national convention. Ross has also served in the following volunteer positions: * Trustee,

Will Rogers World Airport OKC Will Rogers International Airport , also known as Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is a passenger airport located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the city's downtown Oklahoma Cit ...

Trust, July 2022 - Present * Member,

Board of Regents, May 2022 - Present * Board Member,

Oklahoma Hall of Fame The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 by Anna B. Korn to officially celebrate Statehood Day, recognize Oklahomans dedicated to their communities, and provide educational programming for all ages. The first Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction Cer ...

, January 2020 - Present * LPAC Board Member, Acorn Growth Companies, January 2018 - Present * Board Member,

Oklahoma State Fair The Oklahoma State Fair is a fair and exposition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It takes place in mid-September each year, and along with the Tulsa State Fair The Tulsa State Fair is an annual event held at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The stat ...

, May 2015 - Present * Board Member, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, January 2008 - Present * Board Member, OKC Museum of Art, January 2007 - Present * Board Member,

Oklahoma City National Memorial The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. It is situated on the form ...

& Museum, January 2007 - Present * Trustee,

Colorado College Colorado College is a private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory, the college offers over 40 majors a ...

, August 2007 - July 2024 * Board Member, Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, January 2016 - February 2024 * Board Member, Oklahoma Board of Education, April 2015 - April 2019 * Trustee,

Foundation, August 2009 - August 2018 * Board Member, Sunbeam Family Services, July 2006 - June 2017 * Board Member, Oklahoma City Educare, July 2006 - June 2017 * Board Member,

Teach for America Teach For America (TFA) is an American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to "enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation's most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational excell ...

Oklahoma, May 2011 - May 2016 * Board Member, Smart Start Central Oklahoma, January 2006 - June 2014 * Board Member,

Oklahoma City Public Schools The Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) is a multicultural public school district serving most of the urban area of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is the second largest primary and secondary education district in the state of Oklahoma, after Tul ...

Foundation, January 2004 - January 2009

Honors & Awards

Ross has received the following honors and awards for his service to Oklahoma City: * 50 Most Powerful Oklahomans, Issued by OKC Friday, June 2024 * Champion of Youth: Aubrey K. McClendon Lifetime Achievement Award, Issued by Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County, May 2023 * E.C. Joullian Distinguished Citizen Award, Issued by

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

Last Frontier Council, March 2023 * Community Engagement & Collaboration Award, Issued by Possibilities Inc, December 2022 * Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, Issued by

Last Frontier Council, December 2020 * Aspire Award, Issued by Sunbeam Family Services, June 2020 * OKCityan of the Year, Issued by OKC Friday, January 2019 * Beyond Z Award, Issued by KIPP Public Charter Schools, August 2017 * Door-Opener Award, Issued by ASTEC Charter Schools, September 2015 * John Rex Community Builder Award, Issued by United Way of Central Oklahoma, January 2015 * Visionary Impact Award, Issued by Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, November 2013 * Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service, Issued by OKC Beautiful, March 2012 * Urban Pioneer Award, Issued by Plaza District Association, June 2011 * Regents Award, Issued by The

, May 2009

Personal life

Ross was born in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

on January 11, 1974, to William Jarboe and Mary Lillian Ross. He is married to Heather Nicole Ross and has a daughter, Lillian Margaret Ross, and a son, Francis Joseph Ross. He lives in

. Ross is an 89er. His great-grandfather George Ross made the Oklahoma Land Run on April 22, 1889, staking a plot of land on a corner of California Avenue in

, where he built a bakery.

References

External links

Voices of Oklahoma interview with William Ross.
First person interview conducted on January 20, 2012, with William Ross, father of Robert J. Ross. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Robert J. Living people 1974 births American chief executives American philanthropists