First African American Female Dean of Medical School

MSU alum Barbara Ross-Lee, ‘73, is a trailblazing osteopath, educator and leader. On her way to success, she broke numerous glass ceilings and became an example of the MSU motto “Spartans Will.” 

A native of Detroit, MI, Barbara Ross-Lee grew up with her other five siblings. They all showed a great talent for singing and performed in a church choir. But while Diana Ross pursued a music career and became a superstar, Barbara Ross made her mark in the sciences.

In 1960, Ross-Lee started her undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry at Wayne State University. At that time, minority students had little chance of getting admitted to medical schools. Moreover, the ones from low-income families couldn’t count on federal or private funding.

At Wayne State, Ross-Lee faced bias and discrimination from her advisor, who didn’t believe that women could be physicians. Despite being a successful student, she was denied taking a human anatomy course required for medical school.

After graduating in 1965, Ross-Lee joined the National Teacher Corps program, which allowed her to get a master’s in teaching special populations at Wayne State University. She completed her program in four years and continued teaching in the Detroit public school system.

In 1970, Ross-Lee enrolled in the medical program at Michigan State University’s Osteopathic School, which had opened a year earlier. She was one of two women and one of two minorities in her class. Despite being a single mother of two and going through a divorce, Ross-Lee graduated in three years. Those were 33 months of studying without breaks! Later, she admitted that this was an intense experience but she enjoyed the possibility of becoming a doctor.

“What brought me to MSU is the opportunity to go to the medical school,” she said in the interview with the dean of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Andy Amalfitano.

“As for a Black female at that time in the history of this country, opportunities were scarce. And Michigan State offered me a better opportunity.”

Ross-Lee practiced family medicine in Detroit until 1983 when she became a chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1991, she was the first Osteopathic physician to participate in the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. As a part of the fellowship experience, Ross-Lee worked with Senator Bill Bradley on legislation.

In 1993, Ross-Lee made history by becoming the first African American woman appointed dean of a medical school at Ohio University. But her challenges continued despite her exquisite professionalism and merits. “I had an entire department of osteopathic manipulative medicine resign because they did not like the way I was deaning,” she later recalled.

In Ohio, Ross-Lee spent eight successful years until she joined the New York Institute of Technology as the Vice President for Health Sciences and Medical Affairs in 2001. She also served as a dean of the new College of Osteopathic Medicine and as a dean of the School of Health Professions at NYIT. In 2012, she opened a new School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arkansas.

Currently, Dr. Ross-Lee is the President and CEO of the new School of Osteopathic Medicine at Morgan State University. The School is in the accreditation process and is expected to open in 2026. Ross-Lee holds 11 honorary degrees, including one from Michigan State University. She received numerous awards and recognitions for her professional merits and contribution to health education. Ross-Lee has been reaching out to communities, especially underrepresented, to discuss healthcare career opportunities. 

“We can’t be excellent in health care without diversity because we are a multi-cultural society. But we should not look at diversity as a quantitative goal but as a qualitative one.”

During the 2021 MSU Homecoming, Ross-Lee served as a Grand Marshal. She emphasized the role of Michigan State University in her life and career. 

“I had opportunities, and they were singularly created by Michigan State. Michigan State is extremely important to me.”

When asked what advice she could give students, Ross-Lee mentioned that her strategy was to know the rules better than the person who wrote them. “Know the rules, know them all. You don’t have to agree with them, but you have to know them.” 

Materials from An Evening with Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee on Livestream by WKAR Public Media were used to prepare this article.