Silas Earl Ross Papers

Silas "Si" Earl Ross was born in Glendale, Truckee Meadows to pioneer rancher and farmer Orrin Charles Ross in 1887. He attended public schools in Glendale and Reno, and then entered the University of Nevada, where he received his degree in Mining Engineering in 1909. After graduation he remained at the University to teach chemistry. During that time he worked in food, drug, and soil analysis for the State of Nevada.

In 1914, Ross became a funeral director, first as an employee of the Perkins-Gulling Company, and then as a partner in the Ross-Burke Mortuary. He was very active in promoting and developing professional standards and regulations for the mortuary industry and was a member of, and spoke frequently before, the National Funeral Directors Association and the National Selected Morticians organization. He retired in 1966.

Ross was very active in civic and fraternal affairs. He was a Reno city councilman for eight years, serving also as mayor pro tem. From 1932-1957 he was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, serving the last seventeen years as their chair. He was also interested in Nevada state politics and was chair of the Republican State Central Committee for a number of years.

Silas Ross was particularly active in the Masons of Nevada. He joined in 1908 and earned the highest award, that of the 33rd degree. He became the Nevada Grand Master in 1923 and gave many speeches on the history of Freemasons in Nevada, the meaning of being a Mason, and on subjects appropriate to building dedications and the laying of cornerstones.

Because of his interests in Masons, funeral practices, and medicine, he collected, compiled, and wrote many brief histories on those subjects, as well as on historical cemeteries.

Ross married Emily Coffin (daughter of Trenmore Coffin) in 1913. They had one son, Silas Earl Ross Jr. (1916-1967) who was a Reno physician.

Silas Ross died in Reno in 1975.