ROSS, John Kenneth (1916-1978), the son George A. Ross of Montreal, Que., a partner in the leading Canadian firm of Ross & MacDonald. John K. was born in Montreal, Que. on 15 April 1916 and educated at Lower Canada College, at Trinity College School, Port Hope, Ont. (in 1927-31), and at Westmount High School (in 1931-34). At the young age of 18 years, he joined his father's firm as an assistant in 1934, preparing working drawings and details, and supervising construction of small projects. With the encouragement of his father, he moved to Boston, Mass. to study architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1936-39, then returned to Canada to attend architectural courses at McGill University in 1940-41 where he obtained his diploma. He rejoined Ross & MacDonald and after the death of both senior partners (Ross Sr. died in 1946, and MacDonald died in 1942), he inherited the business and continued the practise in Montreal under a succession of names including:
Ross & Ross (1946-47)
Ross, Patterson, Townsend & Heughan (1947-50), with H.M. Patterson, Gilbert Townsend, and Robert Heughan
Ross, Patterson, Townsend (1951), with H.M. Patterson and Gilbert Townsend
Ross, Patterson, Townsend & Fish (1952-60), with H.M. Patterson, Gilbert Townsend and John Fish
Ross, Fish, Duschenes & Barrett (after 1960). with John Fish, Rolf Duschenes and John A. Barrett.
His new partners had all trained and worked with him in the established firm of Ross & MacDonald, and they were all capable of serving important commercial and industrial clients in the post-WWII era such as Imperial Oil Co., Bell Telephone Co., Toronto Dominion Bank, Trans-Canada Airlines, Sir George Williams University (now Concordia Univ.) and the Government of Canada. Their firm remained active until after 1970. Ross died in Montreal on 28 January 1978 (death notice Gazette [Montreal], 30 Jan. 1978, 15; inf. Province of Quebec Assoc. of Architects; inf. H.J. Trevor Patterson, King City, Ont.)
ROSS & ROSS (works in Montreal)
SHELL OIL CO., Sherbrooke Street East, major addition to refinery, 1946 (C.R., lix, April 1946, 146)
IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA, St. James Street West at McGill Street, addition of a penthouse and major interior alterations, 1946-47 (C.R., lix, May 1946, 124; Montreal Daily Star, 21 May 1947, 5, illus. & descrip. in advert.)
MOUNT ROYAL HOTEL, Peel Street, major alterations and interiors for the Piccadilly Club, 1946 (C.R., lix, May 1946, 120; Architecture Batiment Construction, iii, July 1948, 21-3, illus.)
WHITE MOTORS LTD., Decarie Boulevard, c. 1947 (Architecture Batiment Construction, iii, Jan. 1948, 24-5, illus.)
ROSS, PATTERSON, TOWNSEND & HEUGHAN (works in Montreal unless noted)
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. OF CANADA, new Truck Sales & Service Building, with Showroom, 1947 (Financial Post [Toronto], 10 May 1947, 24)
OTTAWA, ONT., West Ottawa Bell Telephone Co. Exchange, Iona Street at Brennan Avenue, 1947-48 (Ottawa Journal, 17 Dec. 1947, 16; and 22 Dec. 1947, 16, illus. & descrip.)
J.R. WATKINS CO., St. Roch Street, offices and factory, 1948 (C.R., lxi, Feb. 1948, 168)
(with Louis N. Audet) SHERBROOKE, QUE., Bell Telephone Co., exchange and offices, 1948 (C.R., lxi, March 1948, 172; Architecture Batiment Construction, iv, Aug. 1949, 27, illus.)
IMPERIAL OIL CO. LTD., Sherbrooke Street West, office block, 1948 (C.R., lxi, April 1948, 146; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Feb. 1950, 61, illus.)
(with C.D. Goodman) YOUNG MEN'S & WOMEN'S HEBREW ASSOCIATION, The Snowden Building, Mount Royal Avenue West, club house, 1948-49 (C.R., lxi, June 1948, 164; Financial Post [Toronto], 21 Oct. 1950, 5, illus. in advert.)
RONALDS CO. LTD., Park Avenue, printing plant, 1948 (C.R., lxi, July 1948, 136)
ARCHITECT'S OFFICES, for Ross, Patterson, Townsend & Heughan Architects, Ste. Catherine Street West, located on the 12th floor of The Dominion Building, 1948 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxv, Oct. 1948, 378, illus.)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., hotel for Joseph Drapeau, 1948 (C.R., lxi, Nov. 1948, 142)
BELL TELEPHONE CO. OF CANADA, offices, garage and vehicle service centre, 1949 (C.R., lxii, May 1949, 164)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., International Harvester Co. of Canada, Charest Boulevard, factory, 1949 (C.R., xlii, May 1949, 170)
SAINT JOHN, N.B., International Harvester Co. of Canada, Thorne Avenue, offices, showroom and storage yard, 1949 (C.R., lxii, Oct. 1949, 146)
OTTAWA, ONT., Bureau of Statistics Building, Holland Avenue, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, March 1950, 132; Batiment, xxviii, Feb. 1953, 31-7, illus.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxii, Nov. 1955, 424, illus.)
SAINT JOHN, N.B., Young Men's Christian Association, Hazen Avenue, 1950-51 (C.R., lxiii, Feb. 1950, 127)
IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA, Bleury Street at Mayor Street, 1949-50 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 350, illus.)
IMPERIAL BANK, McGill Street, c. 1949 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 351, illus.)
(with Beaule & Morissette) QUEBEC CITY, QUE., Bell Telephone Co., offices and service garage, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, Oct. 1950, 157)
RIVER GLADE, N.B., new buildings at the Provincial Hospital including Nurses' Residence, staff quarters, Superintendent's cottage, gardener's cottage, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, Nov. 1950, 120)