The papers are a small collection which suggest, but do not fully reveal the important career and interests of Will Ross. The collection consists of materials gathered by Mrs. Ross after her husband's death. The main focus of the collection are three versions of Ross' inspirational autobiography published in 1953 and other shorter autobiographical writings. Unfortunately these writings focus almost exclusively on the period prior to 1919 when he moved his company to Milwaukee. There are virtually no business papers in the collection, and it is presumed that they were either destroyed or transferred when Will Ross, Inc. was sold. Only a few items document his involvement with the WATA and the NTA.
The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, writings, and subject files. The biographical material includes one folder of loose material and several scrapbooks apparently compiled by Mrs. Ross and by his associates at Will Ross, Inc. Because the latter were received in a highly deteriorated condition, they were disassembled and microfilmed in order to preserve their informational content and are available only in that format.
The correspondence is quite fragmentary and incomplete and primarily consists of letters to Mrs. Ross written after her husband's death. In addition to condolences, there are also letters concerning publication of Ross' autobiography and the awarding of the Will Ross medals. A few letters written by Ross concern his health while a terminal cancer patient. Also filed with the correspondence is a run of his monthly mimeographed letters which were mailed to friends, customers, and business associates. Ross was widely known for these letters, which commented on a range of topics apart from his business concerns. The file includes original monthly letters for the period 1939-1950 and a reprint of various letters for the period 1926 to 1951.
The sole documentation in the collection pertaining to his business activities is a file of letters to sanitarium superintendents and other advertising materials which cover the period 1917 to 1923. Advertising material of a visual nature has been microfilmed, with the originals held in the Society's Visual Materials Archive.
Examples of Ross' writings in the collection include two published editions of his autobiography and an early unpublished version, “It's TB, My Boy.” Various shorter works also concern his experiences as a tuberculosis patient and his involvement with the National Tuberculosis Association. His early autobiography, My Personal Experiences with TB, is not included.
Five small subject files concern his involvement with the National Tuberculosis Association, various Will Ross Medal winners, and the film Will to Live which was produced by the American Lung Association as a tribute to Ross.
