The William J. Ross Courtyard

The William J. Ross Courtyard. . , This courtyard and its gardens honor William Jarboe Ross, a 1952 graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a 1954 graduate of the College of Law. It is the gift of the late Edith Kinney Gaylord. Through the courtyard, Edith Gaylord desired not only desired to honor Bill Ross, but also to honor those in the legal profession who are faithful stewards of the law and who dedicate themselves to the honorable service of their clients from generation to generation. , Edith Gaylord recognized that while our system is often called “a government of the laws and not of persons,” the law itself cannot survive without the integrity and dependability of those who are charged to uphold it and administer it. Our legal system has remained strong because of the devotion, courage. and honesty of the judges and attorneys who have applied it. , For more than forty years, Bill Ross has been associated with the firm of Rainey, Ross, Rice and Binns. He has served the legal profession in many ways as an active member of the Oklahoma and American Bar associations. He has chaired the Federal Judicial Nomination Committee and served on the Admissions and Grievances Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. , His service to the University of Oklahoma has been extraordinary. He has co-chaired the Board of Visitors of the College of Law and helped to lead the Campaign for Excellence which raised the funds for the new wing of the Law Center Building which was completed in 2002. He has also been active in the Bizzell Library Society, alumni activities of his social and legal fraternities at O.U. and received the Regents Alumni Award in 2000. Ross has also served as a leader of institutions in Oklahoma City and the state, including the Oklahoma Heritage Association and the St. Anthony Hospital Foundation. , His relationship and that of his firm with the family of Edith Kinney Gaylord exemplifies the loyal and continuous stewardship of the legal profession which she wished to recognize. , At the turn of the century, Dennis T. Flynn and C.B. Ames formed the law firm of Ames and Flynn. It later became the firm of Rainey and Flynn, with Streeter B. Flynn, son of Dennis Flynn and former Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Robert M. Rainey as its principal partners. The firm later was joined by George M. Green in 1925 and became known as Rainey, Ross, Rice and Binns during the last 25 years of the 20th century. , By 2002, the firm had represented the Gaylord family for almost 100 years. Dennis Flynn drafted the legal documents for E.K. Gaylord in 1904 which formed the Oklahoma Publishing Company, which publishes the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Later Bill Ross, representing the firm, served as legal counsel to Edith Kinney Gaylord, the daughter of E.K. Gaylord, and assisted her in many charitable activities. This courtyard honors Bill Ross and through him it also honors all of those who have kept the special trust required of the legal profession.