Arnold Ross, 1906-2002

Arnold Ross died September 25.

Ross was a remarkable man who had a long and productive career in mathematics and math education. He was Mathematics Department Chairman from 1946 to 1975 at Notre Dame and Ohio State (OSU). In 1957 he created a summer program for high school students talented in mathematics, and that program continues to run at OSU today. Ross directed and taught in the program every summer until a stroke forced him to stop in August 2000. Two Reunion-Conferences were held at Ohio State in his honor, one in 1996 and the other in 2001.

Professor Ross earned many honors for teaching and service, both from OSU and from national organizations like the AMS (Citation for Public Service, 1998) and the MAA (Award for Distinguished Service, 1986). Beyond his accomplishments and awards, Dr. Ross is remembered for his deep insights into current trends in education, for nurturing the talents of his students and colleagues, for inspiring others by his words and example, and for his strength of personality.

The Arnold Ross Lecture Series is a program run by the AMS in which outstanding mathematicians present lectures to groups of high school students. The series was named after Ross in 1993, in honor of his many contributions to developing the mathematical talent of high school students. The lectures are presented once a year in different cities across the U.S.

For further information on the life of Arnold Ross, see "Interview with Arnold Ross" by Allyn Jackson (Notices, August 2001).

Madeleine Ross asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to: Ross Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.