CARLOS OCHOA

SPEECH FOUR: Lawrence Sullivan Ross SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To give a tribute to Lawrence Sullivan Ross. THESIS STATEMENT: Sully was a successful statesmen, soldier, and president for A&M university, who is responsible for saving the college during troubled times.

Lawrence Sullivan Ross

INTRODUCTION

I. Attention-getter: "Just give me a penny for your thoughts”, a famous saying Sully would say when students tried to pay him for tutoring them, especially during finals week. This explains the Aggie tradition of leaving a penny at Sully’s feet for good luck before exams, according to campustours.tamu.edu. II. Thesis Statement: Sully was a successful statesmen, soldier, and president for Texas A&M university, who is responsible for saving the college during troubled times. III. Establish credibility: As a student at Texas A&M, and a member of the Corps of Cadets, I have learned much about Sully and his contributions to society and the university. IV. Relate topic to audience: Without Lawrence Sullivan Ross becoming the President of Texas A&M, it wouldn’t be where it is today. V. Today I will be telling you about the early years, accomplishments, and the legacy and impact that Sully has made.

I want to start by telling you about the early years of Lawrence Sullivan Ross.

BODY

I. Lawrence Sullivan Ross was the fourth child born to Shapley and Catherine Ross on September 27, 1838 in the Bentonsport, Iowa Territory. a) In 1839 his family migrated to Texas, first settling in Milam County, and by 1849 the family had settled in Waco. i. The Ross family was one of the most influential families in the town and state during the 1800’s. b) Sul Ross attended at Independence, Texas and graduated from Wesleyan University, Florence, Alabama in 1859, according to nationalgovernorsassociation.org. c) While in Central Texas on vacations during his years at the university, Ross fought American Indians with the and as a Captain for the Texas Rangers. d) Right before the , he resigned from active Ranger service and married Waco girl Elizabeth Dorothy Tinsley in May 28, 1861.

Next, I am going to tell you about the accomplishments of Lawrence Sullivan Ross.