University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Austin H. Ross 1937 - Basketball, Football, Tennis, Track and Field
A 1973 UVM Hall of Fame inductee and one of the top scholar-athletes ever at Vermont, Austin H. Ross was elected to the Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary All-American team in 1961 along with such great football personalities as the late Vince Lombardi and former Oklahoma football coach, Bud Wilkinson.
A small college All-American football player in 1936, he also was captain of the Catamounts that season, his senior year. In addition, the cum laude graduate co-captained the track team and won letters in basketball and tennis.
At Vermont, Ross was a member of several honoraries, including Gold Key, Sophomore and Military Honoraries, Scabbard and Blade and was a consistent Dean's List student in engineering. Ross also won the Phelps Prize in Civil Engineering, the Kidder Medal for character, leadership and scholarship and athletic attainment and the Loyal Legion Saber for military and scholastic excellence.
Following graduation from Vermont, he joined the Army and attained the rank of major before he resigned in 1945. Ross launched the Derby Construction Co. in Louisville, Ky. and after that a modest beginning (one dump truck and about $2000), he developed it into a multi-million dollar franchise.
