Jack Ross (Arizona)

Norman "Jack" Ross (April 3, 1927- January 13, 2013) was an Arizona car dealer, philanthropist and politician who twice sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Arizona. He was the husband of movie star Acquanetta.

Ross was born April 3, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, the eldest of three children of Norman A. Ross, M.D., and Edna Ross. At 17, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army which sent him to Stanford University, where he studied engineering and graduated from the Army’s accelerated training program. He was deployed to Europe. Ross later received his B.A. from USC.

Ross married movie star Acquanetta, the couple lived in Mesa, Arizona, and she appeared with Ross in his local television advertisements, and also by hosting a local television show called Acqua's Corner that accompanied the Friday late-night movies. The Couple had four children, and divorced in the 1980s.

After working for the Packard Motor Company as their youngest vice president, Ross opened Jack Ross Lincoln Mercury in Mesa, Arizona. Ross became iconic in Arizona for his commercials using the song "They always call him Mr. Touchdown," and often included a promotion like "Buy a car, get a trunk load of groceries." Ross sold his business to Earnhardt Auto Centers in 2005. Ross was honored as Time Magazine’s "Automobile Dealer of The Year."

In addition to cars, Ross was a major land developer, responsible for creating the planned community of Winslow West. Ross also owned the 5,000 acre Chino Grande Ranch in Yavapai County.

Ross and Acquanetta were prominent citizens, donating to the Phoenix Symphony and the construction of Mesa Lutheran Hospital and founding Stagebrush Theatre.

Ross was an environmentalist who owned the Mesa Grande ruins with his wife before they sold it to the city in 1987 to become a cultural park. He also donated the abandoned Oro Belle mine to the Arizona Historical Society.

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