Myrta Maud Pearson Ross

(August 10, 1892 - December 23, 1985)

Eureka College alumnus (Class of 1913); missionary

Even in the glitz and glamour of New York City, Myrta Maud Pearson Ross was a striking figure. When she entered the Park Avenue Christian Church in her red dress, the silver-haired woman's demeanor and grace bespoke much of what she had seen and done as a missionary in the Belgian Congo. Mothers quietly whispered to their children so that they could observe the legendary figure who was walking down the aisle toward the sanctuary.

Today, in a quiet spot in Olio Cemetery in Eureka, one finds an African proverb inscribed at the grave of Emory and Myrta Maud Pearson Ross. The message reminds us that "A stranger knows not where the hidden water is if no one tells him."  The Rosses had gone to Africa to share news of that which was hidden, but in the process, they discovered more about life and human nature in profound ways. The teachers became the pupils and were transformed by the process.

Myrta Maud Pearson was born in Flanagan, Illinois, to Hammond A. and Fannie Wadsworth Pearson. The family moved to Eureka (thus, Pearson Street) and Myrta Maud attended Eureka College from 1909 to 1913. She later described her time in College, saying she attended "at a time when there was great emphasis on the Christian's responsibility to the world." This was a lesson that she took to heart.

Myrta Maud Pearson was instrumental in founding the Delta Delta Pi sorority, which was established May 19, 1910, and was the first Greek organization established on the Eureka College campus.  The seven founding members were Leah Campbell Litchfield (Class of 1912), Cleo Cannon Milligan (Class of 1912), Irma Davidson Cannon (Class of 1908), Hazel Litchfield Goodale (Class of 1913), Myrta Maud Pearson Ross (Class of 1913), Idella Wilson Higdon (Class of 1912), and Mildred Camp (Class of 1912).

She always considered June 13, 1913, to be one of the greatest days of her life—for two important reasons. She graduated from Eureka College on that date and she also announced her engagement to Emory Ross (Class of 1908) who was then in Africa working as a Christian missionary in the Belgian Congo. The couple eventually married on June 15, 1917.

After graduating from Eureka College, Myrta Maud Pearson had worked as the matron of a girl's dormitory at the Southern Christian Institute in Edwards, Mississippi, (1914-15) where she worked with "Mother" Ross, her future mother-in-law; she also worked as a social worker in an urban mission in Indianapolis (1915-16) during the socially challenging times of the Progressive Era. The Rosses left for Africa in 1918.

Emory and Myrta Maud Pearson Ross would spend most of their lives serving as Christian missionaries in the Belgian Congo. She made ten trips to Africa and gave birth to her three children while there. Together, the couple would write several books about their experiences in the Belgian Congo [e.g. Out of Africa (1936) and Africa Disturbed (1959)] and the path that African peoples were taking toward independence in the era of decolonization. During their work in Africa, Emory and Myrta Maud Pearson Ross became acquainted with the work of the noted humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and they hosted him on his first trip to the United States in 1949. The Belgian government eventually awarded her the gold medal of the Order of Leopold II in appreciation for her efforts in Africa.

After returning from her final trip to Africa in 1965, Myrta Maud Pearson Ross began to work as the Director of Public Relations of United Church Women in New York City. She held this position for sixteen years. In this role she was helping to organize and promote the activities of Protestant church women throughout the United States.

The Ross home in New York City became an unofficial salon for the discussion of all things related to Africa and the work of the Christian missions there. Dinner guests included the medical missionary and humanitarian, Dr. Albert Schweitzer; Garfield Todd, the last English prime minister of Rhodesia; and Alan Paton, author of Cry the Beloved Country (1948). Myrta Maud Pearson Ross also organized reunions of the "Congo Kids"—the children who were born to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) missionaries in Africa. Her children—Elizabeth, Roger, and Rachel—continued the tradition after their parents' deaths.

Reflecting upon her life, Myrta Maud Pearson Ross wrote: "Eureka College holds a very special place in the hearts of my husband and myself. Here we met, fell in love, were married, and were sent forth to Africa. Eureka was the moral and religious foundation for our lives. We are grateful for all that Eureka gave to us."