Philip Dansken Ross

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Philip Dansken Ross (January 1, 1858 - July 5, 1949) was a Canadian journalist, newspaper publisher, sportsman and ice hockey pioneer builder.

He was born in Montreal, the son of Christina Chalmers Dansken and Montreal accountant Philip Simpson Ross (1827-1907) who was the founder of the Order of Chartered Accountants of Quebec and a member of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Philip Dansken Ross studied at McGill University and Queen's University. He played for the McGill University football and rowing clubs and he captained the McGill football club to victory against Harvard University in the first Canada-U.S. international football game in 1878. He was provincial single sculling champion twice. He also played lacrosse and founded several golf clubs.^[1]

He joined the staff at the Montreal Star in 1880, worked as a journalist in Toronto and then was managing editor of the Montreal Star from 1885 to 1886.

In 1886, Ross became co-owner of the near-bankrupt Ottawa Evening Journal newspaper. In 1891 he bought out his partner and made it into a highly successful and respected paper. He served as its president for 60 years during which time he helped found the Canadian Press newspaper association.

He was a builder and sometimes player of the Ottawa Hockey Club, later to be known as the Ottawa Senators. With this club, he befriended the sons of Lord Stanley, the Governor-General of Canada. In 1892, Lord Stanley appointed him to be a trustee for his championship ice hockey trophy, known today as the Stanley Cup. He helped found the Ontario Hockey Association in 1890. He played in the first Ontario championship game in 1891 at the Rideau Rink in Ottawa, helping Ottawa win 5-0 over Toronto St. George's.

Mr. Ross served as trustee for the Stanley Cup until his death in 1949. He also served as trustee for the Minto Cup of lacrosse. He turned down the trusteeship for the Grey Cup of Canadian football. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

He also went into politics. He won election as alderman in Ottawa, serving from 1902 to 1923, but lost in 1914 in election for Ottawa mayor and was also defeated in a run for provincial politics in 1904.

A historical plaque commemorating Ross was erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation on Kent Street in downtown Ottawa.