Jerrold Ross

(February 8, 1935 – February 1, 2024)

Dr. Jerrold Ross, 88, passed away peacefully at Calvary Hospital on February 1, 2024. Born on February 8, 1935, in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of Alice Gubernick Ross and Murray Ross.

Dr. Ross was a transformational leader in the arts, arts education, higher education, and nonprofit leadership communities in New York City and the Metropolitan Area. At the age of eight he began his musical career by studying piano and later became a student at Manhattan’s High School of Music and Art (now LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts). Studying under Rosalyn Tureck at The Juilliard School during his high school years, Dr. Ross studied piano and cello. He completed undergraduate studies at Queens College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science and earned the Doctor of Philosophy from New York University. In 1997, Emerson College in Boston awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his work arts education.

He began his music teaching career on Long Island in the Syosset and Great Neck Schools, and later he taught at Manhattan's Dalton School. In 1963, he joined the faculty of The New York College of Music (New York’s oldest conservatory), and in 1965 was appointed President of the College, becoming the youngest college President in America at the age of 30. While President, he awarded a Scholarship to student, Tania León. Ms. León went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning international composer and 2023 Kennedy Center Awards Winner. To this day she refers to Dr. Ross as “Maestro”.

Dr. Ross then moved to become Chair of the Department of Music and Music Education at New York University. He subsequently became Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at New York University in the School of Education, Health, Nursing, and Arts Professions (SEHNAP),

now known as the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. He was also Director of the National Arts Education Research Center. At the same time, he was Director of New York City’s historic Town Hall, then owned by NYU. One of the key programs he introduced on that stage was the Legendary Ladies of the Movies, which featured interviews with top stars such as Sylvia Sidney, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Myrna Loy, and was expanded by the Kennedy Center into what we all know as the “Kennedy Center Honors.” In 1995, Dr. Ross moved from NYU to St. Johns to become Dean of the School of Education (Queens and Staten Island campuses) until his retirement in 2014 after 19 years. He was the longest-tenured Dean in the School of Education. Dr. Jerrold Ross retired as Dean Emeritus at St. Johns School of Education in 2014.

In addition to his university leadership, Dr. Ross has been the Director of many research and training projects including those funded by the Rockefeller, Mellon, J.P. Morgan Chase, Pinkerton, and Samuel Rubin Foundations, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Dr. Ross was also a founding Board member of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, a national accrediting group for schools of education (1998-2006). He served as a member of the Teacher Education Certification and Practice Board, as well as an evaluator of higher education programs for the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He was also a member of New York State Commissioners Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and the Secretary of the Alumni and Friends of LaGuardia High School for Music and the Arts in New York City. In 2006, He was awarded the President’s medal for Distinguished Achievement as an Administrator by St. John’s University.

From 1969 to 2003, Dr. Ross was President of the Board of Trustees of the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (now Usdan

Summer Camp for the Arts) the nation’s leading summer arts camp for children, ages 6-19, where a new building, the Jerrold Ross Discovery Center was named in his honor. The New York State Education Department and its Board of Regents presented him with a certificate to commemorate the occasion and the New York State School Music Association cited him for “50 Years of Service to the Children of New York State.” Dr. Ross was also on the Board of Directors of St. John’s Bread and Life, which was founded to address the needs of individuals and families living in the Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn community facing multiple challenges. St. John’s Bread and Life serves 9,000 individuals weekly on average across all food programs. Dr. Ross was a member of The Lotos Club and National Arts Clubs in New York City.

Dr. Ross is survived by Robert Harrod, his partner of 51 years, beloved cat “Miss Coco”, nieces and nephews, as well as numerous friends, colleagues and former students. A memorial service will take place at Temple Emanu-El, Fifth Avenue at 65th Street, NYC on Monday, February 5 at 10:30 AM with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Dr. Ross may be sent to the Alice Murray and Jerrold Ross Scholarship Fund at St. John’s University - Office of Gift Planning - 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens NY 11439