Business Owner | Educator
Birth: She was born on June 14, 1934, in Richmond, Indiana.
Death: She died on April 23, 2010, in Dayton, Ohio.
Education: She graduated from Richmond Senior High School and received her undergraduate degree from Earlham College.
Career as a Business Owner: From 1997 (after the death of her husband, Robert) to 2010, Norma served as the president/CEO of Bob Ross Buick-GMC and Ross Motor Cars-Mercedes Benz, which she had helped start with her husband.
Career as an Educator: Norma worked as a teacher and consultant for the Dayton Public School System and notably was part of the team that created the first all-day Kindergarten program in Dayton. In 1975, she also taught self-care classes to Black teenage girls at Richmond, Indiana’s Townsend Center. In the 1980s, Norma created the “Saturday Academy,” an SAT preparation program at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
Community Involvement: Norma was very involved in her community. She was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, singing in their choir and organizing their women’s circles. She served on many committees, including but not limited to the African American Advisory Council at Earlham College, the Dayton Philharmonic Women’s Volunteer Association, and the Opera Guild of Dayton. She was also a lifelong member of several organizations, such as Richmond, Indiana’s Townsend Center, the NAACP, and the Dayton Urban League. She also sponsored an annual Dayton Area All-Star high school event (called the “Bob Ross Baseball Classic”) with the Bob Ross Dealerships, providing area talent exposure for seniors.
Awards: Norma won many awards for her business skills and community involvement. For example, the Bob Ross Organization was featured in Black Enterprise Magazine as the “Auto Dealership of the Year” in the year 2000. She was also named “Woman of the Year” by the National Association of Minority Dealers in 2008. Other awards include, but are not limited to, “Women of Influence,” awarded in 2008 by the Dayton YWCA, and the NAACP’s “Youth Councils Community Service Award” in 2006.