Brenda Szitta Halminiak, ‘95
During winter term of my senior year, I was in
Prof. Ross’s Economic Geology class. He had assigned each of us to write
a paper about an aspect of the proposed Crandon mine, and we had arranged
a meeting with a DNR employee in Madison. On the day I was to drive
to Madison with two of my classmates, the weather was rainy, with some
areas of the state hit with freezing rain. I asked Prof. Ross if
we should still make the trip, and he said the roads to the south would
be fine. Well, he lied. We had gotten as far as Oshkosh when
I hit a patch of ice. My car did two or three 360? turns, but luckily
none of us were hurt, nor did my car receive so much as a scratch.
After I had calmed down, I drove us right back to LU, just in time to catch
the end of Ross’s intro geo class. We walked in, sat down in the back of
the room, and without missing a beat in his lecture, Prof. Ross said, “And
you went in the ditch, didn’t you?!”
I didn’t let him forget about his “good advice”
for quite awhile! But he still is by far one of my favorite professors!
P.S. I still remember him eating those greasy donuts
in the cafeteria!
Lora Hainy, ‘88
I was a geology assistant for two years at Lawrence,
and there are many interesting “tid bits” that could be told about many
of the professors. But the one that I remember the most about Professor
Ross happened at the beginning of our geology field trip during the spring
of ‘86 (??). This was an intensive, one-week excursion to the western
states. There were two or three vans of students, many of which had
never been west of Iowa. The stage was set as soon as we hit the highway
and Professor Ross kicked his van well past the speed limit. (He
liked his sports cars, and he liked to go fast.) We were in awe of Ross.
In many ways he was like “the mighty Quinn” -- larger than life.
Needless to say, when we settled for the night and were eating dinner,
we held on to every word he had to say. He was describing some of
the spots we would be going to, what type of geology we were passing through
now, and what the terrain would be like in the mountains. Then, during
this educational discussion of geology he slips in a safety tip for us,
... “By the way, when we’re over by the Royal Gorge, we’ll hit some pretty
steep hills. If you have any problems with the brakes I want you all to
bend down, grab your ankles and kiss your butts good-bye.” It took
a moment to register the humor in the statement, but it set the mood for
the best week I’ve ever had at Lawrence.
Many thanks to Professor Ross, who took my interest
in geology to new heights,
and made me appreciate the great student/teacher relationships
that can be forged.
Julie (Folz) Erkilla, ‘81
I'm a 1981 alum of the Geology Dept. and always
enjoyed Ted Ross's classes as well as working with him as a lab assistant.
Professor Ross was both informative and entertaining! My most memorable
"Dr. Ross" story occurred when I was lab assisting in his Glacial Geology
class. While lab sessions at Lawrence were calm and predictable,
field trips were another matter. As the lab assistant, I drove one
of the vans, following Dr. Ross in the other. My mission was to keep
up with his van so that whenever he wanted to stop and explain something
(or embarrass an unlucky student with a trick question) the entire class
was right there. During a trip to the Kettle Moraine area, Dr. Ross
announced that his students needed to "experience" glacial topography.
On a narrow gravel east-west road which ran perpendicular to the moraines
-- that is, straight up and down -- he took off at top speed so that his
students could "experience" the rollercoaster effect (and, I suspect, to
see if he could break the speed record for a 15 passenger van). There
was no way I could keep up -- and of course he ribbed me about it later.
Seriously, though, Dr. Ross was one of the best
professors I had at Lawrence. He was a gifted teacher and there was
never a dull moment in any of his classes. His enthusiasm for geology
was contagious and inspiring. I wish him the best!!
Mike Tryggestad, ‘97
Professor Ted Ross was a lot of things to me, an
advisor, professor, Fraternity consultant, and friend. But most appreciated
of all perhaps is car repairman! Professor Ross saw far too much
of my 1980 El Camino while I was there. My best story about him is
connect to it. I was having some car problems Winter term, 1995.
Everytime the temp dropped down, a tire would lose all of it's air.
So, I asked Professor Ross if he could take a look at it while I was playing
basketball in Florida over Winter Break.
The story
goes, as I have been told, that when he came to pick up the El Camino from
the Sage lot, not only was there a flat tire, but the car was buried in
2 feet of snow. So Professor Ross dug it out of the drift, and begun
to change the tire. When he pulled out my spare tire, he found that
it too was flat. So, now he made a trip back to his place and
picked up another spare. In the icy cold, he returned
to LU, changed my tire, and started the El Camino.
No problem
right? Wrong, I had left the El Camino with no gas. In fact,
Professor Ross ran out of gas before he could get it to the nearest gas
station. He had to flag down some local high school kids to help
him push the car to the nearest pump. He filled it with gas, made
the repairs, and returned the car with the following note:
"Trygger,
E does not mean Enough"
Another story
about Ross came from the summer I worked in the department (1996).
Under the supervision of Professor George Smith, my future wife and I were
working to refurbish the department's newest acquisition, the Beverly.
We were also living in the Phi Delt house. We decided that the rock
outside the house needed a new coat of paint and that
the navy blue enamel we were using on Bev would look
great. So we took some back with us one night and painted the rock
a nice bold blue with our letters on it. The next day, as I was talking
to Dave Baird, Professor Ross came in and said, "Hey Trygger! I see
you painted the rock. Looks great! Familiar color though."
Nothing more was said, other than some good laughs. The moral of
the story is that I have never been able to pull the wool over his eyes,
and I don't know anyone who has.
Yet another
story is one not unique to me. First day of Mineralogy, Ross says,
"Hey Trygger! Where's Breakfast?". I was confused. "You're
a Phi, I'm your house advisor. The least you can do is bring a little
breakfast treat." So every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning
I brought in a muffin, pastry, or coffee-cake of some kind. The one
exception was the day of the final when I had our cook Val make him a huge
breakfast with an omelet, hash browns, sausage, and juice. He still
only gave me an A-.
Other funny
Ross stories and notable quotes are the following.
(please use your judgment as to which are appropriate)
...the time
he "zipped himself up" during half-time chalktalk of an LU football game.
...the time
I locked my keys in my car in Neenah, and he came over to help "slim-jim"
the doors open.
...the time
I forgot to invite him to our house steak and shrimp dinner, he never let
me or any other phi delt president since forget about not inviting
him.
"slippin' the
clutch" = a senior taking his intro class third term
"big guns"
= he was in the artillery unit, they fired big guns, so you have to speak
up!
"the Ross
donut scale" = the number of donuts it would take to grease a piece of
farm machinery, a 1 or 2 is a great donut!
Susan Davies, ‘79
When I was offered the job as WLUK Weekend “Weather Girl,”
I knew nothing about weather. For one semester, Ted Ross allowed
me to study weather under his tutelage and got me off to a great start!
(Although he did give me a B!) And I’m still using what he taught
me!!!
Sara Matthews
I remember in the spring of ‘80 when I was in Geology
101 (“Rocks for Jocks”), Mt. St. Helens erupted. We had class the
next day, and Mr. Ross was as excited as someone who had just had a baby.
He scrapped his lecture and just talked about the explosion.
Tim and Judy Young
Judy and I each enjoyed classes with Ted in the late
1960’s. I played for him in 1967 and 1968. Also, we bought two cars
from him and he was important in Katie’s choice of L.U. and geology as
a major.
Ron and Marlene Roberts, emeritus
A good friend to anyone who needed one.
Someone you could count on to help with any problem or
to listen when you needed someone to just listen.
Lawrence, its faculty, students, staff, and former football
players are all richer for knowing you.
Cara Helmke
I will never be able to look at the Art Center again
without thinking of it as “Santa Fe McDonald’s.”
|
Nan Kreher, ‘75
Dr. Ross intertwined several passions during class
lectures. He was passionate about rocks and the wonder of geology.
He was passionate about teaching students and his third passion was for
food. So he would be going along, explaining a great outcrop of something
as though we were all driving along on a field trip. He would describe
the rocks and surroundings in detail. Then he would say “and a little
further up the road on the left is a great restaurant called Charlie’s.
They have the best hamburgers (or whatever) with cheese and fries, etc
. . .” The food description was as detailed as the rock description!
And just as enthusiastic!
Roelif “Geek?” Loveland, ‘79
No major revelations to tell about Ted Ross (you
know, of the Monica Lewinsky sort)...but lots of good memories about Dr.
Ross and the whole Geology program at Lawrence back in the late 70’s!
Toledo girls can flirt and other queer things can’t do. Who the heck
could forget Mohs Hardness scale when you have a phrase like that echoing
around in your head!
The story I remember most vividly was being
on a field trip with Professor Ross and the rest of the class. We
happened across a large pile of horse or cow droppings as we strolled along
(I know - I was supposed to be studying the rocks). I took a good
kick at the pile - spewing the mess all over the place. I may even
have picked up a few road apples and thrown them around. I was an
Illinois boy, after all, and used to that stuff. It was at
that point that I was introduced to the word “geek” by Dr. Ross.
Only later did I learn that “geek” often meant a person who was odd enough
to bite the heads off chickens! Thanks Doc!
The Lawrence years were great - and Dr. Ross and
his sidekicks in the Geology department were eager to share their enthusiasm
with we greenhorns. I didn’t end up in a geologic profession - but
I will always carry with me a love of rocks. The chance to travel
west with a field study group during the winter of 1978-79 was a great
experience too - and I still have the super 8 movies to prove it!
Dr. Ross - Have a great retirement! The department
will miss you! And, if you need nails, look me up! (www.mazenails.com).
James Pinta Jr., Ph.D., P.G., ‘73
Ted Ross was the inspiration for me to become a
geologist. I have been a professional geologist all of my working
career. Many of the approaches I use in my professional career, I
learned while a student at Lawrence. I value my time spent in Ted’s
geology classes, field trips, and informal discussion sessions in the Department,
at the Union, and in the field.
Ted is a scientist, educator, and a human with
a family and other interests, all at the same time. He was always
willing to help me advance my understanding of geology and was tolerant
and accepting of various personalities among the students and majors (and
the late 60’s and early 70’s had their share of personalities!).
Above all else, he taught the Big Picture (which,
at times, requires details to understand the Big Picture!). I will
always recall, with fond memories, the following experiences and anecdotes
from Lawrence:
Nailing the roof on his house and having a cool one in
the process.
Helping him move furniture into his new house.
Spring field trip to the west and southwest (1970):
Listening to C&W music through the Great Plains.
Camping at Durango Colorado in a foot of snow and a temperature
of 5?F.
Waking up at the rim of the Grand Canyon in six inches
of new snow.
Driving back to Lawrence with sixteen cases of Coors
hidden in his roofrack (he kept wondering why he kept blowing out tires
- we had his station wagon overloaded by a thousand pounds!) We used
this contraband to finance the trip!
Flying with him in an airplane he rented so that we could
see the outstanding glacial features of Kettle Moraine State Park. The
“PFUN” board outside the student office with so many one-liners, including:
Ross eats cherty oolites!
A Rolling Stone gathers no armor (but a rolling mudball
might if it is in
Two Rivers!)
Don’t take anything for Granite
Do asbestos you can!
Discussing the physical and chemical properties of “cola-ite”
crystals found on some long ago forgotten field trip.
The Field Trip through the Grand Canyon in 1972 learning
about geology and
maintaining the pace by having one Rally Time after another.
Ted and Ron Tank (see attached picture) were always vigilant in finding
opportunities for learning.
Many discussions at various times and places punctuated
with his classic spare me refrain.
Thank you Dr. Ross for the experiences!
George Smith
I have been fortunate to know Ted Ross as a colleague
and a friend for several years. He has been an important mentor;
I have tried to emulate him in many ways. His ability in the field,
lab, and classroom are unquestioned. He has a knack for connecting
with students of many different levels, as well as being able to quickly
earn the trust and respect of complete strangers. There are many
good things I can say about Ted, but perhaps the most significant thing
I can say is that he is a great team player. He can lead --capably
-- and can follow -- comfortably. He adapts readily, and is noteworthy
in his ability to identify and direct his efforts toward actions and activities
that benefit the many people around him. These are only a few of Ted's
many strengths -- and he is well-rounded in both his interests and abilities.
Ted is quick to see the good things in people, and I have always enjoyed
his company and conversation. Leaving Ted and a few other good friends
was the hardest part about leaving Appleton.
Julie Clark
Dear Prof. Ross,
Thanks for making the learning fun! It was
a welcomed relief from a difficult time of life and from others who took
everything so seriously . I learned the most from your classes.
Happy retirement.
Julie
Matt Rhodes, ‘90 and Bridget Szweda, ‘89
Ted Ross played Cupid by bringing us together on the
spring 1987 geology field trip to the Four Corners region. Twelve
years of romance, eight years of marriage, and two children later we’re
still happily together, but no longer making out in the back of Ford vans.
Ellen Jakes Kelm, Ph.D.
On our spring trip, Dr. Ross regaled us with tales from
Indiana including his delivery of Dr. Pepper after hours to a girls’ dorm
and barely escaping. His combination of good humor, intelligence,
and down to earth nature served as a terrific role model when I became
a professor, myself. Also: Drilling a hole in his thumbnail to relieve
pressure - the doctor was not impressed!
Frank Sprtel, ‘94
I am 1994 graduate of Lawrence University who majored
in geology. Although Professor Palmquist was my faculty advisor, I did
get to know Professor Ross quite well through field trips and classes that
I took from him. I wanted to share with you some of the funny stories
and quotes that I remember involving Professor Ross. I remember Professor
Ross saying to his intro geology class, "Gravity gang, it's my favorite
force." I also remember how animated he would get when teaching his classes,
introductory geology in particular. He really loves geology and loves
to teach it.1992 Las Vegas/Grand Canyon National Park fieldtrip:
Our fieldtrip group was driving back to our hotel in Las Vegas after being
out all day looking at outcrops around Lake Mead. I was in the lead
van with Professor Palmquist who seemed to be paying more attention talking
to his passenger in the right seat than to his driving. Before I
could warn
Prof. Palmquist, our van hit a huge pothole in the road,
sending the hub cap of the wheel that hit the pothole flying across the
road. Professor Ross, who was driving the van behind us, stopped
and sent Professor George Smith running across the highway after the now
runaway hub cap. It was quite the spectacle. I remember Professor
Palmquist saying to me that he was going to hear about that little maneuver
for a while (of course, he was right and Professor Ross never let him hear
the end of it!).
1993 Big Bend National Park fieldtrip: I bought
a dinner plate-sized ammonite from a rock shop in a small town near the
national park. I remember how excited I was and how Professor Ross
picked up on my enthusiasm and recounted my ammonite purchase in later
introductory geology classes.
As I sat down to write these stories they brought back
a lot of good memories of Lawrence and the geology department. When
Professor Ross retires, Lawrence will lose a great professor and mentor.
I hope these stories will help in remembering Professor Ross's legacy.
Best,
Frank Sprtel |
Monica Gruber, ‘95
Dr. Ross’s Intro to Geology was the very first
class I took after transferring to LU from St. Olaf College. I had
no idea what to expect from this new school, and Dr. Ross’s class provided
an excellent first impression of academics at LU. Also, I so enjoyed
the class and Dr. Ross that I began to think geology was the way to go.
I had never thought that my major could be something fun, or something
I enjoyed so much, but Dr. Ross proved me wrong. Shortly after I
transferred I decided geology was my calling and the rest is history.
I must thank him for his part in helping me choose
and fulfill my life’s dream. I greatly appreciate his sincerity,
guidance, and wisdom. Thank you Dr. Ross. Good luck in the
future.
Lisa Sattler, ‘88
I had some reservations about submitting this particular
anecdote because of the nature of the incident. After giving it a
great deal of thought, I decided it was pure Mr. Ross. He was, after
all, my source for the story’s punchline.
First, some background: I graduated from
Lawrence in ‘88 with a major in geology. Ted Ross was my advisor
and, in a big way, my mentor. I was fortunate to have the office
next to his my sophomore-senior years (actually, it was a storage room
for samples, but it was mine!). I smoked heavily while in college,
often in the basement of Stephenson while working in the lab. Every
time Mr. Ross found me smoking, he would firmly but gently tell me I should
quit. One time, he even brought me to tears (unbeknownst to him)
simply by sitting down on the table where I was working, taking my lit
cigarette from the ashtray, and - looking straight at me - asking softly,
“Why do you do this?”
My senior year, we went on a field trip out West.
On one of our stops (in Colorado, I think), the group split up for a long
hike up twin peaks. I was in Mr. Ross’s group. Determined to
prove that my smoking had not impaired me physically, I followed directly
behind him every step of the way, never letting him get more than a yard
or two in front of me for the entire trip up and back.
That night, at a group gathering in one of our
hotel rooms, Mr. Ross commented on my sticking so close to him during the
hike. “You noticed,” I said, pleased that my efforts had paid off.
“Noticed?!?” he replied. “I was doing everything I could to
shake you!” It seems that, while hiking, he was experiencing a bit
of . . . well . . . indigestion from dinner the night before. My
following so closely behind him forced him to be a little more
gentlemanly than he would have been otherwise.
As a result, his trek up the mountain was uncomfortable, at best.
I suspect that his confession in that room - and the laughter we all shared
- is, for many of us, one of the most memorable moments of the entire trip.
Gina Seegers Szablewski, ‘92
Professor Ross was my advisor at Lawrence.
I took Intro Geo with him during the spring trimester my sophomore year,
and until then, had not intended to be a geology major. But through
that class and his teaching, I discovered that I could have fun and travel
while participating in both a practical and cognitive science. He
introduced me to a wonderful field, full of interesting and creative people,
who like Ted, seem to keep their feet on the ground while continuing to
learn and to teach.
Through my master’s research, geology has brought
me to Antarctica twice, experiences that have had a profound effect on
my life. The basic I learned at Lawrence have been important in my
geologic work, such as Ted’s saying, “Always look like you know what you
are doing in the field,” implying that you may have no idea what you are
doing, but it is important to keep up appearances. I also remember
him repeatedly saying, “Look at the big picture,” and that regrounding
has often made the difference in my geologic interpretations. And
as I found out later in life, like any experienced field geologist, Ted
had the best stories for just about any topic related to geology.
I wanted to write some fantastic, funny story about
Professor Ross, but I couldn’t think of one. What I remember is a
relaxed, humorous, easy to talk with, supportive teacher who was also a
friend. The geology department will certainly not be the same without
him.
Paul Condrell, ‘83
Prof. Ross I'll always remember, not so much for the
booming voice which made it easier to remember the names for minerals,
but for the term "S-O-L".
He taught me about SOL when I went in to his office
one day very early in the term with a schedule conflict. In order to take
advantage of my first choice of classes, I needed to take his lecture in
Intro to Geology section 1 and the lab in section 2. Thinking this would
be a simple matter to arrange I boldly approached. "You are S-O-L" he said.
Although I didn't know what that meant, I could tell it wasn't too good,
because he didn't look very sympathetic at that moment. He could tell I
was confused, so followed with the explanation "That means your shit out
of luck!" Try as I did to get an exception, he stood his ground. Although
not the result I wanted, I stuck with Geology. Perhaps it was out of respect
for a guy with the courage to say "no" to the whinny college student I
was. Of course, I had no regrets. On a recent trip to Israel, (15 years
after taking the class) I could explain to my wife the igneous rock we
found on Mt. Sinai, the sedimentary rock in Jerusalem, and the volcanic
rock in Galilee. My best wishes to Ted Ross for happy and productive years
in retirement.
Barbara Brownawell Mojonnier, ‘70
Who was more chagrined, you or I, that afternoon I interrupted
one of your upper level classes? The class snickered and giggled
when I entered. I think we both blushed as I finally turned and read
the words on the blackboard: (something like . . . ) “Contribute to the
fund to send Fox Brownawell on the spring trip to Colorado.” I didn’t
get to go on the trip, but I’ll always remember your Field Methods class
as the most fun I’ve ever had learning anything. (Whatever happened
to our pretty good topographic map of the campus?) My fascination
with geology continues. I remember telling my young children tales
of glaciers and erosion as we drove across Wisconsin on summer vacations.
My father-in-law quizzed me as I spoke with authority about rocks we found
on the shores of Lake Michigan. I treasure the rock collection, including
obsidian and other “exotics,” inherited from my Montana grandparents.
Rocks of all kinds and dimension hide in corners and closets of my home
today. Thank you for nurturing a love of geology that has given me
pleasure for so many years. Happy Retirement!
Mike Willis
Dear Ms. Bjornerud:
Your letter announcing the retirement of Mr. Ross came
at a time when I have been thinking of him often. That I have been
thinking of him at all is rather remarkable, considering I graduated from
Lawrence eight years ago with a lone course in Geology under my belt.
I enrolled in "Rocks for Jocks" to fulfill my science requirement; nothing
more (I graduated with a degree in English). And while I can't boast
that his class caused me to change majors or even remember the difference
between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, he did leave a lasting
impression on me in at least one way. Specifically, I will never
forget his frequent and passionate oratories on the beauty and grandeur
of various state and national parks. He spoke so passionately and eloquently
about their charms that it left a lasting impression in my mind long after
I earned my diploma. Although I had never been to any of the places
he spoke of, and although I don't remember even consciously making a decision
to visit those places, it became a type of dream that I was only half-aware
of.
And so it came to pass that this past March, I drove to
Colorado with my father to see the mountains for the first time.
My father has been ill, and one day he mentioned, in passing, wanting to
return to Colorado where he and my mother lived before I was born.
At this point, my old memories of Mr. Ross' stories were reawakened, and
I immediately suggested that we drive there together, which is exactly
what we did. And the trip was magnificent. Not only did I get to
see many of the magnificent parks that Mr. Ross spoke of, such as Garden
of the Gods, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and, of course, the majestic
Rocky Mountain National Park. In addition, as we visited these places,
my father and I shared some experiences together that I shall not soon
forget. And as we visited each one, I thought, too, of Mr. Ross.
I may not have learned much in the way of facts and figures
while enrolled in Rocks for Jocks, but that is surely not Mr. Ross' fault.
On the other hand, he planted the seeds of something else that has stubbornly
taken root within myself: a deep love of and respect for the environment
in general, and our national park system in particular. This has
become a very important, cherished part of my life. And, for that,
I will always be grateful.
Sincerely,
Mike
Mike Willis
Curator of Education, Exhibits USA
Phone: 1-800-473-3872
Fax: 816-421-1388
URL: www.eusa.org |
Bill Trauba, ‘72
I do have many fond memories of Ted. Perhaps
the first is when I was a freshman and Ted organized one of his famous
spring break trips across the country. This one was a raft trip down
the Colorado River. Everything was set when about a week before Ted
tried to hold back a sneeze and threw out his back and couldn’t go on the
trip. He missed a lot of fun (and excitement) on that trip.
A year later, we (the Geology Dept. students) went
on another cross-country expedition during spring break. This time
it was to look at the volcanics of southern New Mexico and to study the
porphyry copper deposits of southern Arizona. On that trip Ted was
along and we drove, drove, and drove. One night we pulled into Durango,
Colorado at 2:00am and set up our tent in the city park. It was 10?F
and 4 inches of snow on the ground. That was a memorable night, but
so was the night when we were driving and a bad alternator (or something)
cut off our headlights. We ended up driving to a service station
using a flashlight!
For awhile, Ted had an environmental consulting
business. He even had his own business card. I accompanied
him to a job site in Central Wisconsin where he was to give an estimate
of the suitability of the site for a sanitary land fill. His plan
was to take a few core samples, do a percolation test, and use the “thumper”
to do a simple geophysical analysis to see if the bedrock was close to
the surface. Well, Ted forgot to bring some connections for the “thumper”
and feeling the sandy soil between his fingers decided that the site was
indeed suitable!
Ted was always looking for fun things to do and
one of his favorite fun things to do was to go fishing. Several times
he and a group of us went fishing on Lake Poygan about a half hour from
Lawrence. We were after walleye pike, but I remember that it was
there that Ted taught me how to catch sheephead!
Ted and his students also roamed around areas close
to campus. An interesting project that Ted was involved in was mapping
the pre-glacial topography of the High Cliff area south of Appleton.
We would go out in to the field with our gravimeters each $5000.00 or more
and measure the gravity at various locations. The instruments were
extremely sensitive and could even measure the “earth tides” which we had
to take into account with the other measurements.
Our group, classes 1970-1974, had a lot of fun
with Ted. His enthusiasm drew many students into the Geology Department
if not as geology majors, at least to sample some of his classes.
I’ve had many fun times with Ted and I wish him well in his retirement--a
rest well deserved.
Robert Pope, ‘88
I remember one morning I had a class with John
Palmquist. That morning I guess John had put on two different shoes
(trying to determine which was a better match) and then hurried out of
the house without deciding on one pair. It went unnoticed until minutes
before class when Ted pointed out, “John, I like that pair of shoes.
Bet you have another pair at home just like them.” Well, John turned
red and various other shades, and he gave his entire 2-hour lecture from
behind the podium. I think after that John always had a backup pair
of shoes in his desk drawer. Maybe I should have shared that story
at John’s retirement party . . .
Sarah Atlee Mann, ‘98
One of the things I remember most about Professor
Ross is his humor and love for teaching. I took Intro. to Geology
back in 1995 as a freshman and absolutely loved it. Every day he’d
put a quote on the board that related to what he would be discussing that
day in class. I have enclosed some of my favorite quotes as well
as some personal quotes of Ted’s that I wrote in my notebook during class.
Good luck Professor Ross!
“A casual glance at crystals may lead to the idea that
they were pure sports of nature, but this is simply an elegant way of declaring
one’s ignorance. With a thoughtful examination of them, we discover
laws of arrangement.”
~Abbé René Just Haüy
“Talk of mysteries! Think of our life in nature--daily
to be shown matter, to come in contact with it--rocks, trees, wind on our
cheeks! The solid earth! The actual world!”
~Henry David Thoreau
“Each grain of sand, each minute crystal in the rocks
about us is a tiny clock, ticking off the years since it was formed.
It is not always easy to read them, and we need complex instruments to
do it, but they are true clocks or chronometers. The story they tell,
numbers the pages of earth history.”
~Patrick M. Hurley
“It is with rivers as it is with people. The greatest
are not always the most agreeable nor the best to live with.”
~Henry Van Dyke
“The wind grew stronger, whisked under stones, carried
up straws and old leaves, and even little clods, marking its course as
it sailed across the fields. The air and sky darkened, and through
them the sun shone redly, and there was a raw sting in the air.”
~John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.”
~Robert Frost
“Do not slide down moss-covered cedar.”
~Mr. Ross
“Here’s the earth, what the hey!”
~Mr. Ross as he almost runs into a large globe
on wheels at the front of the classroom!
“The Red Baron = Raspberry Ripple ice cream!!”
~Mr. Ross
Donna Gresser Harper
I cannot believe that Ted Ross is actually going to retire--it
makes me, an '83 grad, feel much older! I was a Geology major who
truly enjoyed my years working with the whole department. I have
done nothing in my post-LU years relating to Geology but I do enjoy
teaching my 5 year old about the Earth!
Mr. Ross was always helpful and full of information.
I vividly remember our field trips-especially because I had very poor knees
and was often carried up or down a hill by my classmates and Mr. Ross was
very understanding. The Department will surely miss his football
tales, which he never hesitated to tell--over and over again!!!
I enjoyed seeing him at the Lake Forest College football
games when the team visited IL and I am sorry I won't see him here in the
future. I wish him and his family the best. Enjoy retirement!
Fondly, Donna Gresser Harper
Carole Clay, ‘97
I took geology my freshman year. Coach Ross found
out I was from California and he harassed me all the time. He teased
me about not knowing what snow was and he really got a good laugh the day
we watched San Francisco, the City that Waits to Die. He made class
fun and made me feel like an individual. Let me just say, “I never
fell asleep in Coach Ross’s 8:30!”
Tricia Ross
A colleague of mine gave me the letter that you sent
out in early April to the friends and former students of my dad.
I really enjoyed reading the letter, and I'm glad that my colleague shared
it with me. It's nice to know that he has touched so many people.
While I was never a student of his, I do have some cute
anecdotes about growing up with Professor Ross as a father. Since
I'm not a Lawrence graduate, I don't know if you would be interested in
including them in the album to be presented to him, but I thought I would
share them with you anyway. One of the things that I most remember
is that students used to call our house all of the time and ask for Dr.
Ross. When I was in the second or third grade, I didn't realize that
there were other doctors besides medical doctors. I used to tell
the poor Lawrentians, who probably needed extensions on their due dates
or help with exam material, that they had the wrong number. I could
never understand why we received so many calls for a Dr. Ross. It
was a mystery to me for a long time. Another thing that I remember
about life with Dad was that he used to let me "play teacher" all the time
and correct his exams. I'm sure he must've already corrected the
exams, but I used to go through the exams and add my remarks - "Super",
"Excellent", "Good Work" - just like my teachers in elementary school used
to do. I also was sure to give the really strong students a "smelly
sticker" because I figured that they loved those stickers just as much
as I did. My dad was always willing to indulge me, and he always
had more patience than just about anyone in the world. I'm sure students
who've had him in class can say the same things about him.
I just wanted to share these little stories with you.
Do what you want with them. Also, I was wondering if it would be
ok if my mom and I attended the picnic on June 19? I think it would
be much more fun to go to a picnic than some of those stuffy, formal retirement
things (What can I say? I'm just like my dad.)
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