| Charles Griffith Ross | |
|---|---|
| 6th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office 1945 – December 5, 1950 |
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| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Jonathan W. Daniels |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Early |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 9, 1885 Independence, Missouri, USA |
| Died | December 5, 1950 (aged 65) Washington, D.C., USA |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Griffin (1918-December 5, 1950) |
Charles Griffith Ross was a White House Press Secretary between 1945 and 1950 for Harry S. Truman.
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Ross graduated with Truman and Truman's eventual wife Bess Truman in Independence, Missouri from Independence High School (now known as William Chrisman High School) Class of 1901. He was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1905. In 1908 he became the first professor of the newly formed Missouri School of Journalism.
In 1918 he became the Chief Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for his article entitled, "The Country's Plight, What Can Be Done About It?", a discussion of the economic situation of the United States.
In 1934 he became the editorial page editor for the Post-Dispatch and then in 1939 became a contributing editor for the paper.
In 1945 Truman asked him to become his Press Secretary.
Despite Ross' personal relationship with Truman, he was to be accused by reporters of not running a tight ship in coordinating press releases, not being aware of everything going on in the Presidency, not burnishing the President's image, not being aware of the needs for spot news, and being a poor public speaker.
However, Ross' personal relationship with Truman had its advantages, as reporters knew Ross spoke for the president both on and off the record. Very few reporters felt Ross led them astray, either.[1]
Ross died at his desk in the White House in December 1950 after giving a press conference as he was preparing to make some comments to the television news.
His widow Florence Griffin married The Kansas City Star editor Roy A. Roberts in 1953.
His grandson, John Ross is the author of the novel Unintended Consequences.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jonathan W. Daniels |
White House Press Secretary 1945-1950 |
Succeeded by Stephen Early |
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