Fonds F0724 - Ross Ellis fonds

Ross Laird Ellis, 1916-1983, was born and educated in High River, Alberta. He joined the 15th Alberta Light Horse while still in his teens. He worked in a clothing store until Second World War when he joined the Calgary Highlanders as second lieutenant. In Britain he was an instructor at the British School of Infantry and by 1944 was CO of the Highlanders. Later he was commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade, and by war's end was a lieutenant-colonel and had received a DSO. In 1945 he formed a garage business partnership, Ellis-Heyland Motors, which he sold in 1963. He was active in High River politics, serving as town councillor (1947-1951), mayor (1951-1963), and town administrator (1963-1966). He was also Liberal-Conservative coalition Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Okotoks-High River (1955-1959). In 1944 he married Lt. Nursing Sister Marjorie Reid Scarr, 1914-2006, and they had a son and daughter, Robert and Leslie. The Ross Ellis Memorial Lecture in Military and Strategic Studies is given annually in his honour by the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary.