March 30, 2015 - Panola College Board of Trustees is proud to announce the naming of the Frances B. Ross Ballroom, located in the new Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center and the Frances B. Ross Lecture Hall, located in the new Health and Natural Sciences Building. These rooms are named in honor of Mrs. Frances B. Ross’s many years of support and generous financial contributions to Panola College and the Panola College Foundation.
Over the years, Ross gifts to Panola College have made it possible for Panola to purchase a stage which has been used for numerous ceremonies and performances, acquire new tables and chairs to outfit a science lab, and replaced many aging musical instruments. Ross has also established two scholarships that will continue to help students in perpetuity. Dr. Gregory Powell, President of Panola College commented, “Mrs. Ross is a tremendous supporter of our community; nowhere is that support more evident than Panola College. I am pleased to see the Panola College Board of Trustees honor Mrs. Ross through the naming of these two highly visible spaces in our new buildings. She is most deserving.”
Frances B. Ross is a lifetime resident of PanolaCounty. She was married to Mr. Elvin Ross, a rural mail carrier, for 32 years. Together they had one son, Daniel Lloyd Ross. In 1973 Ross became co-owner of the Hobby Horse Gift Shop in Carthage, Texas. For twenty-one years, her entrepreneurial spirit and energetic demeanor was seen in the success of the Hobby Horse. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church, and her accomplishments in life are easily seen in the admiration and respect of her friends and those around her.
