During the month of June, Rosenberg Library honored the late June P. Ross (1921 – 2001). On display was an assortment of items related to her long career as a community leader and an advocate for seniors and children in need.
June Pickney Ross
June Pickney Ross was born in Washington, D.C. in 1921. She attended Howard University before joining the Women’s Army Air Corps. Reaching the rank of Sgt. Major, Special Services, Ross received an honorable discharge and accepted a position with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. She first came to Texas in 1953 and began her career as a radio broadcaster in Houston. Ross later transitioned into non-profit work, and served as the executive assistant of the Harris County Community Action Association.
Ross eventually settled in Galveston, and in 1973, she became the executive director of the Galveston County Community Action Council. In this role, she established senior citizen centers in Hitchcock and La Marque and implemented a Meals-on-Wheels program. She oversaw the Galveston Head Start program and was involved with the Children’s Summer Feeding program as with well the Children’s Center.
Among other awards and honors, June Ross received the Rabbi Henry Cohen Humanitarian Award in 2000. After a long battle with cancer, she passed away in January 2001 at age 79.
