Retired Tampa psychiatrist Jack F. Ross MD died at the age of 98 last summer, leaving more than $4.1 million to benefit his MD student scholarship. The bequest represents the largest single gift to scholarships in the history of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.
“This gift will have a tremendous impact on the lives of our medical students,” said Dr. Charles Lockwood, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and senior vice president of USF Health.
“Though I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, this scholarship will leave a lasting legacy for Dr. Ross—one that will be carried on for generations through the talented future physicians who owe their education to his generosity.”
Known as a private but delightful gentleman, Dr. Ross previously gave $150,000 to fund the endowed scholarship in his name to benefit high-achieving medical students. That gift allowed the Jack F. Ross Medical Scholarship to be awarded to 13 students to date.
“I am truly grateful to people like Dr. Ross for helping me alleviate the debt of medical school,” said Andrew Lai MD ’18. “His financial support was a part of the generous culture of giving at USF, and I am very excited to pay it forward in the coming years.”
Dr. Ross came to Tampa in the 1980s to practice medicine at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. He served as courtesy faculty in the USF department of psychiatry and behavior for 20 years. He also supported piano education at the USF College of the Arts.