$4 million gift
Greenville, N.C.鈥擳here are few programs at East Carolina University too big or too small for Dr. Ledyard E. Ross’ backing.
The alumnus who has long provided support for ECU athletics and academic initiatives and a host of other fundraisers will now be a permanent part of the university thanks to his $4 million gift to the ECU School of Dentistry, which is on track to open in the fall of 2011. Dr. Ross鈥?gift is one of the largest to the university in its history.
An orthodontist and graduate of what was then called East Carolina College, Dr. Ross joined dignitaries Feb. 26 for a ceremony announcing the gift. During its regularly scheduled meeting, the ECU Board of Trustees voted to name the new building that houses the School of Dentistry to Ledyard E. Ross Hall.
“This generous gift comes at a time when we are starting a new school and puts us in a position to support faculty and students at its inception,” said Chancellor Steve Ballard, Ph.D. “Dr. Ross’ gift to the university reinforces that the North Carolina General Assembly saw the wisdom of establishing a School of Dentistry at ECU and reinforces the vision they had and we have for this school.”
“The difference between being a good dental school and a great dental school hinges on private giving,” said Dr. James Hupp, dean of the School of Dentistry, and a member of the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure.
“Dr. Ross’ very generous philanthropic gift will propel us toward greatness, allowing us to accomplish our grand vision of improving the health and quality of life of North Carolinians by leading the nation in community based, service-learning dental education,” Dr. Hupp said. “We cannot thank him enough.”
“I’m real proud,” Dr. Ross said of the naming, adding humbly: “I’m just a good loyal alumnus.”
The funds will be used for student scholarships, faculty research and other academic enterprises.
“I want this school to be one of the best in the country, and dental school is very expensive these days,” said Dr. Ross, 84. “The better instructors they have, the better quality students come out of the school.”
Dr. Ross reflected on his modest upbringing and military service during World War II, and attributed his success to the education he received at East Carolina.
“I was born in Greenville and grew up very poor,” he said. “I went to war and got money for college through the GI Bill. I knew I wanted to go to dental school, so I came home and went to East Carolina College.”
Later, he was accepted into the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and Northwestern University Dental School.
“When I was in college I lived at home, which was cheap, and saved the GI Bill to go to Northwestern, which was not a cheap school,” he said. “I was able to graduate from college with just a minimal amount of money. For this, I feel obligated to the university.”
Dr. Ross graduated from Northwestern in 1953 and completed his training in orthodontics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1959. His son, Dr. Dennis Ross鈥攁lso an orthodontist鈥攚ent to UNC, which Dr. Ledyard Ross might have attended had it been there at the time.
“Dentistry is a wonderful occupation and I enjoy it,” he said. However, the ability to bestow generous gifts does not come solely from his practice.
“You can only make so much with your hands,” Dr. Ross said. “I invested in a lot of things and I’m very fortunate to have more money than I need.”
Ledyard E. Ross Hall, on the ECU Health Sciences campus, will have more than 100,000 square feet. The North Carolina General Assembly has provided about $90 million for construction, which covers the dental school building in Greenville and community service learning centers in rural and underserved areas of North Carolina.