Lawrence Sullivan Ross
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Lawrence Sullivan Ross ("Sul" Ross) (September 27 1838 – January 3 1898) was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He served as governor of Texas from January 18 1887 to January 20 1891.
Ross was born in Bentonsport, Iowa Territory, to Catherine and Shapley Prince Ross. He graduated from Florence Wesleyan College (now the University of North Alabama), spending his vacations assisting the military in operations against Native Americans. In 1859, he would earn praise as a member of the U.S. Army's Indian auxiliaries for his efforts in fighting the Comanche tribe in the Indian Territory.
Sam Houston appointed Ross as a captain in the Texas Rangers, where he led the Waco Company against hostile Native American tribes. In 1860, his pursuit of a Comanche raiding party would result in the recapture of Cynthia Ann Parker. He declined an offer from General Winfield Scott of a formal commission in the U.S. Army.
In 1861, he joined the Confederate Army when Texas seceded, and by 1864 had been promoted to brigadier general and commander of the Texas Cavalry Brigade (aka Ross's Brigade). Ross distinguished himself during the Atlanta Campaign, fighting several successful smaller actions. He also capably led his brigade during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. He was in Texas on furlough when his men surrendered to Union forces at Jackson, Mississippi, in May of 1865. By some estimations, he participated in 135 battles and skirmishes during his career as a Confederate officer.
After the surrender of the Confederacy, Ross retired to farming in Texas with his wife, Elizabeth Dorothy Tinsley. In 1873, he was elected sheriff of McLennan County, and he would later serve as a constitutional delegate in the writing of the Constitution of 1876.
In 1880, Ross was elected to the Texas State Senate, and in 1886, he ran for the position of governor, and was elected. After his second term as governor ended in 1891, he took over the presidency of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University). Ross would return public confidence in the troubled school, and served as its president until his death, which was caused by exposure during a hunting expedition along the Trinity River. He was buried in Waco.
Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, was named in his honor. Additionally, the Ross Volunteer Company, a specialty unit within Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets, and the official honor guard for the Governor of Texas, bears his namesake.
"Sully", as he is affectionately called by Aggies, remains a highly respected figure in the history of Texas A&M University. His statue is located on the plaza outside of the Academic building. Students traditionally place pennies at his feet for good luck before exams, as legend says Ross would tutor students in his office for a penny during his tenure as president of Texas A&M.
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