William Potter Ross was a Cherokee scholar, journalist, merchant, representative and leader who had the distinction of becoming Cherokee Nation Principal Chief twice before Oklahoma statehood, though never by a popular vote of the Cherokee people. This exhibit looks at the life of Ross — a nephew of Principal Chief John Ross — who became the first editor of the Cherokee Advocate newspaper, a Cherokee Nation delegate and an eloquent leader who struggled in turbulent times.

Photo courtesy of the Cherokee National Collection, Tahlequah, Oklahoma.