June 13, 2001

                        ROSS GIFT TO NAME OSU HEART HOSPITAL

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The proposed world-class heart hospital at OSU Medical Center has received a major boost of funding with a $10 million gift of support from Elizabeth M. “Libby” Ross. In recognition of the gift, the facility will be named the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital in memory of Mrs. Ross’ late husband. The OSU Board of Trustees will vote on the naming at the July meeting.

“Our initiative to make Ohio State a national leader in heart research and patient care is a powerful example of our commitment to excellence across the entire university,” said Ohio State President William E. Kirwan. “We are extremely grateful to the Ross family for embracing that vision and helping to make it a reality.”

To be located on West 10^th Avenue adjoining Rhodes Hall, the four-story, 96-bed Ross Heart Hospital will be connected to the recently opened Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute. Together, these facilities will provide a comprehensive heart center—a concept unique in Central Ohio and unparalleled in the United States.

Locating all heart care services under one roof will make possible a unique patient care model: each patient, whether a medical or a surgical patient, will be cared for by the same heart care team during every stage of care—streamlining patient care and offering a simplified experience for both patients and families.

In addition, this synergy will lend practicality and function to research efforts, as well as to teaching opportunities for future cardiologists and heart surgeons. Medical students, residents, and fellows will have opportunities to work one-on-one with heart center professionals to learn the latest techniques and procedures. Extensive continuing medical education will also be available to physicians in Ohio and throughout the country.

“We are extremely honored that Mrs. Ross has chosen to support our new heart hospital. Her generosity will help us to assure that, when it comes to heart care, the synergy between patient care, research, and teaching will be unprecedented at The Ohio State University,” said Dr. Fred Sanfilippo,  senior vice president and dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health.

A 1940 graduate of Ohio State in education, Libby Ross is a trustee of Children’s Hospital and the Columbus Museum of Art, which dedicated a wing and a photography gallery in honor of her and her husband. She has also supported a wide range of other organizations and initiatives in the Columbus community, including Franklin University, Ohio Wesleyan University, and renovation of the Southern Theatre.

      At Ohio State, she serves on the OSU Heart Center Campaign Committee and the National Major Gift Committees for Columbus and East Coast Florida. She is a lifetime member of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. and is recognized by The Presidents Club. Dick Ross, who graduated from Ohio State in 1938 with a degree in fine arts, was retired president of Ross Laboratories in Columbus (now a division of Abbott Laboratories) at the time of his death in 1993.

“During his illness, Dick received wonderful care from the doctors and staff at Ohio State,” said Mrs. Ross. “I was and continue to be impressed with their caring, their knowledge, and their incredible dedication to patients. I am equally impressed with what the Ohio State Medical Center stands for—teaching, research, and outreach—and the constant improvements made for future care.”

The Ross family has extensive ties to Ohio State. Several family members attended and/or graduated from the university, including Libby’s son, Alex Ross who earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in 1973 and 1976, respectively. Libby’s daughter Sally Soter serves with her on the OSU Heart Center Campaign Committee and on the National Major Gift Committees for Columbus and East Coast Florida. Mrs. Soter has also served on the OSU Hospitals board since 1995.

“This extraordinary gift is a resounding compliment to the strengths of cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology at Ohio State,” said Robert E. Michler, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Ohio State. “It also affirms the leadership role of the Ross Family in developing a world-class facility that will provide state-of-the-art care to patients with heart disease,” added Michler who holds the Karl Klassen Chair of Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. James Ryan, a cardiologist at Ohio State and holder of the Joseph M. Ryan Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, says knowing Libby and Dick Ross and their family over the past 15 years has enriched his life personally and professionally.

“Once again, their lifelong commitment to philanthropy will better the lives of all of us in Central Ohio. I look forward to smiling every morning as I walk through the front door of the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital,” he said.

Frank Wobst, chair of the OSU Heart Center Campaign, and chairman of the board of directors for Huntington Bancshares Inc., said the Ross contribution will help encourage and support cardiovascular research and effectively educate the next generation of heart care physicians.

“Libby’s gift has brought us one step closer to achieving our ultimate goal of eradicating heart disease altogether,” said Wobst.

The Ross Family’s long and very generous history of giving to Ohio State includes creation of the Richard M. Ross Chair in Management in the Max M. Fisher College of Business, held by William L. Berry; the Richard Moore Ross Cancer Research Endowment Fund; and the Elizabeth M. and Richard M. Ross Endowment for Medical Research and Education. In addition, the family has supported the Manuel Tzagournis, M.D., Medical Research Endowment Trust; the Joseph M. Ryan, M.D., Chair Fund in Cardiovascular Medicine; the M. S. Sofia Professorship in Arabic Studies; the Wexner Center for the Arts; the College of Human Ecology’s Department of Consumer and Textile Sciences; and WOSU Stations. This most recent gift is part of Ohio State’s ongoing fund-raising efforts following the success of its $1.23 billion “Affirm Thy Friendship” Campaign.

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Contact: David Crawford, Medical Center Communications, 614-293-3737, or

               crawford.1@osu.edu