30th Anniversary Guardians Commemorative Book - Book - Page 174
LEADING BY
EXAMPLE
In late 2011, the
Museum received a
$17.2 million gift from
the estate of former
United States Holocaust Memorial
Council member Eric F. Ross.
Eric was actively involved with
the Museum both before and
after his Council service. He and
his late wife, Lore, donated more
than $12 million to the institution
during their lifetimes and in total
contributed more than $30 million
to the Museum. In 1999, they made
a gift to have the Museum’s Ross
Administrative Center named in
memory of his parents, who were
murdered by the Germans.
The Rosses were an exceptionally
generous couple whose philanthropic
efforts will profoundly impact the
Museum and Holocaust education,
which they cared deeply about.
This transformative gift, which
was designated for the Museum’s
unrestricted endowment, will
provide vital permanent resources
to secure the Museum’s future
and its global impact.
172 l UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM LEGACY OF LIGHT GUARDIANS
Both Eric and Lore knew firsthand
the dangers of unchecked hatred
and antisemitism. As a teen, Eric
fled Nazi Germany, leaving behind
his parents. After coming to the
United States, he married Lore
Blumenthal, a fellow refugee.
Eric returned to Europe in 1942 as
a soldier in the US Army. He was
one of the ‘Ritchie Boys,’ a group
of German-speaking soldiers who
received special training at Camp
Ritchie in Maryland, and was
awarded a Bronze Star for his service.
After the war, he founded Alpha
Chemical & Plastics in Newark and,
ten years later, founded Mercer
Plastics Company, based in Florida.
He sold both companies in 1985.
The Museum will remain eternally
grateful for this gift and the
unparalleled support of both Eric
and Lore Ross. Ensuring that
the victims of the Holocaust are
remembered and that the lessons of
this tragedy are transmitted to future
generations will be part of their
enduring legacy.
