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Ross School of Business. Photo courtesy of michiganross.umich.edu
Stephen M. Ross School of Business: Michigan’s Global Hub
Stephen M. Ross School of Business: Michigan’s Global Hub
by Prah Pant
Walking through the red brick walls and sky-blue tinted windows, you can feel the magnificence of the building that houses the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Impressive and picturesque, the building matches the reputation of a top-ranked business school.
The Michigan School of Business, as it was originally named, was a small program of the university operated out of Tappan Hall ("Business Education at Michigan"). It was not until the 21st century, when Dean Robert Dolan wanted to expand the business school, that a sponsor was considered ("Business Education at Michigan"). This man was none other than Stephen M. Ross.
Today Ross is a real estate mogul and investor with more than $7 billion dollars tied to his name (Hoffower and Kaplan). However, he was also a Michigan student at one point looking to make his future mark in the world. In a recent interview, Ross credits the school for teaching him to believe in himself (Murray). This sentiment, combined with the fact that his uncle Max Fisher donated to OSU’s School of Business, made Ross interested in supporting his alma mater ("Business Education at Michigan").
Tappan Hall in the 1930s. Photo courtesy of michiganross.umich.edu
Stephen M Ross. Photo courtesy of related.com
When Ross first heard of the "absurd" $100 million request, he nearly laughed Dean Dolan out of the room ("Business Education at Michigan"). Yet, as reported in Michigan’s Bicentennial Report, he eventually acquiesced after a plea from the dean that the donation would allow for Michigan’s School of Business to reach “a new era of greatness.” As promised, the funds were used to build the Ross School of Business and hire its world-class faculty ("Business Education at Michigan"). Today, the Ross School of Business sits comfortably in the top five undergraduate business schools ("Just in: Michigan Ross BBA Program Lands in the Top Three of U.S. News Rankings Again").
Yet, the building has faced some controversy in recent times. Stephen Ross is still active in both business and politics. As such, his personal decisions reflect on the Ross School of Business, regardless of how Michigan feels. Ross sparked a public outcry when he hosted a fundraiser for President Trump in 2019 (Hoffower and Kaplan). The reception on campus was not much better. According to Claire Hao, many students felt that Ross’s actions “did not align with the University’s values” and petitioned for the university to remove Ross’s name from the business school. However, the controversy eventually died down and there have been no more mass calls to change the name of the building since.
The last name Ross can be traced back across multiple European cultures. According to Ancestry.com, Ross is of Scottish, French, and Germanic heritage and is generally related to place names in these different regions. The name also traces its history to an English version of the Jewish last name Rose (Ross Family History).
Like the name Ross, the students of UM’s prestigious business school are a part of multiple cultures from across the world. Ross has become an inclusive hub for all students, regardless of background, to interact, creating a greater sense of belonging for all.
Ross MBA students. Photo courtesy of michiganross.umich.edu
Works Cited
“Business Education at Michigan: A Narrative History.” Michigan Ross, https://michiganross.umich.edu/about/our-history/business-education-at-michigan-history
Cohen, Roger. “The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Dec. 1992, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator-of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html?scp=2&sq=steve+ross+dead&st=cse.
Hao, Claire. “Calls Continue for 'U' to Remove Ross's Name from Campus Buildings in Ongoing Debate on Free Speech.” The Michigan Daily, 5 Sept. 2019, https://www.michigandaily.com/campus-life/calls-continue-for-u-to-remove-rosss-name-from-campus-buildings-in-ongoing-debate-on-free-speech/.
Hoffower, Hillary, and Juliana Kaplan. “Stephen Ross - Trump Donor and Equinox Chairman - Has Reportedly Already Donated $1 Million toward NYC's next Elections. Take a Look at How One of the City's Richest Residents Built His Fortune.” Business Insider, 15 Dec. 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-ross-net-worth-fortune-hudson-yards-equinox-trump-2019-8#when-hes-not-working-snapping-up-real-estate-or-getting-philanthropically-or-politically-involved-ross-spends-time-golfing-boating-and-exercising-16.
“Just in: Michigan Ross BBA Program Lands in the Top Three of U.S. News Rankings Again.” Michigan Ross, 21 Sept. 2020, https://michiganross.umich.edu/ross-news-blog/2020/09/21/just-michigan-ross-bba-program-lands-top-three-us-news-rankings-again.
Michigan Ross, https://michiganross.umich.edu/.
Murray, Tom. “The Ross Effect.” DBusiness Magazine, 2 Apr. 2021, https://www.dbusiness.com/business-features/the-ross-effect-2/.
“Ross Family History.” Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ross.
“Stephen M. Ross.” Related, https://www.related.com/our-company/leadership/stephen-m-ross.
Vis, Bridget. “Making Equity and Justice an Integral Part of the Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA Experience - Starting at Orientation.” Michigan Ross, 7 Sept. 2021, https://michiganross.umich.edu/news/making-equity-and-justice-integral-part-michigan-ross-full-time-mba-experience-starting.
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