(this is what I entered on Black Bloggers Connect (BBC) as a BHM blog entry. If you like it here, please like it on the blog site.
Normally during this month, we concentrate on the same deserving African Americans in history. When I saw this contest, I knew I had to honor a little known very important African American woman to history.
Norma Ross (1934-2010) from Dayton Ohio was the only African American female owner of a Mercedes-Benz franchise in the world and the only African American woman owner of a Buick and GMC franchise in Ohio.
Mrs. Ross (nee Henderson) met Robert P (Bob) Ross when they both were in high school in Richmond, Ind. They married and Norma received a degree in elementary education from Earlham College, Robert operated a Buick dealership. They came to Dayton in 1979 where Robert sold Buick and Mercedes Benz models and Norma worked as a classroom teacher and a curriculum consultant in the Dayton Public School system. She helped established the first all day kindergarten program in Dayton, Ohio.
The Bob Ross Organization consists of three franchises: Buick, GMC and Mercedes-Benz. Bob Ross died in 1997 and Norma assumed command of the Bob Ross Dealerships. Their two children, Robert Jr. and Jenell, became vice presidents. Jenell Ross continues as president of Ross Motor Cars.
In 2000 the Bob Ross Organization was featured in the Black Enterprise Magazine as “Auto Dealership of the Year”.
In 2007 Norma received the “25 Year Award” as a GMC Dealer. In 2009 a “30 Year Award” as a Mercedes-Benz Dealer and Bob Ross Buick also celebrated 35 years as a Buick Dealer. The dealership has been one of the “Top 100 Companies” in Dayton, Ohio from 1999 to present. In the State of Ohio, Bob Ross Buick franchise was ranked #1 for eight consecutive years and currently ranks #2 in Buick sales. Currently, Bob Ross Buick is among the Top 50 largest Buick Dealers in the country.
After her death in 2010, the family established “The Norma J. Ross Youth Foundation” to benefit deserving youth in the community in her honor.
Her other awards and accolades were too numerous to mention but more information can be found at:
http://www.bobrossauto.com/j/i/38780/NormaRoss.html
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/bob-ross-buick-ceo-dies-668691.html
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dayton/obituary.aspx?n=norma-jean-ross&pid=142283886
