Ross was born, bred, and spent his early life in the area of Syracuse NY.  He was introduced to square dancing when he was eight years old.  His whole family would go to the firehouse in their little town once a month to square dance.  He enjoyed it tremendously and looks back on those evenings as very pleasurable.  This wasn't the modern western dancing that is called today, but it was a fun experience that left impressions that have carried over to his present love of the activity.

In January 1966 Ross was drafted into the Army, sent to Finance School, and assigned to Germany for 18 months in the Payroll Office of the 8th Infantry Headquarters.  After his discharge from the Army he went to work for the Household Finance Corporation in Syracuse.  In a bank close by Sue Prouty was working.  She and Ross would see the other in a nearby coffee shop each morning, she at one table and Ross at another.  The bank where Sue worked was the one at which his company did business, so he made it a point to see her when he made deposits, etc.  Finally he got up enough nerve to ask her out, the beginning of their courtship.

Ross and Sue were married in August 1968.  During the first year of their marriage, Ross' parents tried to persuade them to take square dance lessons.  He and Sue weren't particularly interested so procrastinated for a year, thinking the matter would be forgotten, but no such luck!  In the fall of 1969 they grudgingly started Beginners' lessons.  On the first night at the first lesson Ross discovered that square dancing was "his thing", something he earnestly wanted to pursue.  They graduated from Beginner's lessons in May 1970 and started what would now be be the equivalent of a Challenge Workshop in June.  Both he and Sue picked up the dancing very rapidly and have loved it from the very beginning.  Ross has always been intrigued with the choreography and in November 1970 he called for the first time at the Mainstream level.  Since he liked the more complicated sequences and the more advanced choreography, he quickly moved on into the Advanced and Challenge levels.  In the meantime his job had become more demanding, requiring weekend and overtime work, which interfered with his square-dance calling.  On the spur of the moment one day in 1974 (without consulting Sue!) he gave his two weeks notice and quit!  Although not totally upset, she was somewhat apprehensive about this turn of events.  It was a difficult decision to make during a career, but there have been no regrets.

The secret of Ross' fame is his smoothness and relaxed atmosphere of his dances.  Although his choreography may be difficult, intricate, and mentally taxing, the dancers are stimulated because the dancing flows.  He insists that he doesn't do anything special to achieve this.  The characteristics which peg him as one of the top callers in the country don't just happen, they're the result of hard work, a natural ability, and an inherent feeling toward his dancing floor.  And it's smoooooth, man, smoooooth!!!

Ross feels that he's much more relaxed than he used to be which he attributes to the Texas influence on his lifestyle, but he still injects his wry sense of humor.  His patience may wane, and he doesn't hesitate to admonish the floor on occasion.  Surely there have been times when you've danced to Ross when the floor has questioned some part of a tip, only to have him quip, "Is this your card or my card?",  "Don't get testy, guys!", "Is this thing working?" while knocking on his mike, and of course, "Read my lips!"  Since he gets hired and works regularly, he feels that he must be doing something right, although he insists he doesn't know what.  Ross likes to just let it happen - and happen it does, with great success!

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