Founder's Memoir - Green Chimneys

Tradition Continues Thanks to W. R. Berkley

December 20, 2018

Founder’s Memoir

Read the inspiring story behind Green Chimneys in Founder Samuel Ross, Jr.’s memoir, The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys: Connecting Children and Animals to Create Hope.

Written by Dr. Samuel B. “Rollo” Ross, Jr., this labor of love chronicles Ross’s personal experiences in creating one of the finest therapeutic facilities in the world. The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys is the fascinating account of Dr. Ross’s compassion, educational philosophy and therapeutic practices, as well as a compelling look at Putnam County’s growth from a rural enclave.

Through his book, Dr. Ross shares a lifetime of practical learning and insights to benefit and inspire all those who work with troubled children, and who believe in the healing power of the natural world. “My goal in telling this story was a deeply personal one,” says Ross. “I wanted to leave a legacy that would show what we went through to create and build Green Chimneys, and what it means personally, and in the larger sense. I felt it was important to document the determination and vision it took.”

The Extraordinary Spirit of Green Chimneys: Connecting Children and Animals to Create Hope is published by Purdue University Press.

To purchase a copy, contact Green Chimneys Fund Development at tmazella@greenchimneys.org or order on Amazon.

Cow

Blossom is a 1-year-old Holstein cow, and she was born a freemartin. A freemartin calf is a common result of twin calves; the female twin absorbs genetic material from a male twin in utero, and after birth develops male traits and subsequently becomes sterile. Since Blossom can’t produce milk, the dairy farm where she was born asked Green Chimneys if we’d like to have her, and of course, we agreed! Blossom came to us around the same time as another calf named Alfie, and the two have grown up together while being cared for by staff and students alike.