Robert Winston Ross was born on January 19, 1922. Ross attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where he received a B.A. in 1948. Ross then attended The Associated College of Claremont, also in Santa Barbara, where he received an M.A. in 1955. Ross then earned a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota in 1972. Ross also did graduate course work at the University of Washington, Seattle in 1954, 1955 and 1962 as well as at the University of California, Berkeley in 1955-1958.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s Ross served as a minister and worked at various colleges in teaching positions. Ross arrived at the University of Minnesota in 1966 and completed his Ph.D. in 1972. Following the completion of his graduate work, Ross worked as a Researcher in Student Life Studies during 1973-1974. In 1974 Ross was promoted to Senior Activities Consultant at the University's Student Activities Center where he worked as an events coordinator. Ross also began his research on student unrest while working in the Student Activities Center. Ross became the Interim Director of the West Bank Student Union in 1976 and was also appointed to the University President's Religious Affairs Advisory Committee. During the academic year 1977-1978 Ross took a sabbatical leave and conducted the research for his book on the American Protestant response to the plight of Jews during Germany's Nazi regime. In the fall of 1978 Ross was appointed Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies and Student Affairs departments where he continued his research on student unrest.
Ross retired from the University of Minnesota in 1987 and moved to California where he served in several interim ministry positions and also taught at various theological seminaries including the Fuller Theological Seminary in San Francisco. He continued this work until 2000 when he formally retired. Robert Winston Ross died August 11, 2004.
From the guide to the Robert Winston Ross papers, 1966-1987, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
