Co-workers fondly remember retired HPJ publisher

Duane Ross might be best described as a gentleman publisher.

Ross, the publisher of High Plains Journal from 1994 to 2007, died Aug. 4, 2026, at Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita. He was 90.

Ross, an Oklahoma native, spent 25 years in marketing and management positions with companies involved in food processing and agricultural equipment. His career stops included Speed King Manufacturing, first in Griffin, Georgia, and later in Dodge City. He joined High Plains Publishers Inc., in 1982 as vice president and associate publisher and in January 1994 was elected by the board as president and publisher, a position he held until he retired in December 2007. In the above photo, (At right) Retired publisher Duane Ross was remembered for being a strong leader and a gentleman. He is pictured with (left) retired publisher Tom Taylor and the late publisher Joe Berkely. (Journal photo by Kylene Scott.)

Retired Journal publisher Tom Taylor remembered Ross as a leader and friend. He called it an honor and a privilege to work under Ross for 26 years. Taylor said Ross had excellent business acumen and as a result took High Plains Journal to a much higher level.

“Above all, Duane was a gentleman’s gentleman,” Taylor said. “I always cherished my time under his tutelage. He was not viewed as a boss, but as a friend to employees. He will be sorely missed by High Plains Journal and Dodge City. In all the years I knew Duane, I never heard him speak badly of anyone. He always had a businessman’s approach and was even keeled.”

Former Journal editor and publisher Holly Martin said she was fortunate to have Ross as her first boss.

Ross, she said, led by example and taught her not only about leadership but also the importance of caring about people first. Ross was also an executive who was ahead of his time.

Martin remembered how 28 years ago, Ross allowed her to work from home occasionally, which was long before the Internet was available at her home.

“He did that because he trusted me, and the work-life balance was important to Duane, and those things are talked about so much today,” she said.

He shared that and other aspects about leadership, Martin said, and one of those times came during a National Agri-Marketing Association meeting.

“Duane was on a panel and he talked about leadership, but he also talked about how important it was to recognize the importance of generational leadership and how different generations see things and why it was important to manage with that mindset,” she said.

In her own case, she recalled how Ross was not only quick to answer questions; he also encouraged her to ask questions and seek input from others.

“He was so ahead of his time,” Martin said.

Field editor Kylene Scott noted that many of her co-workers had also posted fond remembrances about Ross on their social media.

“Duane was a gem. The kindest soul you’ll ever meet,” Scott said. “I remember my interview for copy editor at High Plains Journal with him, Tom and Holly. Completely intimidated, they all put me at ease and eventually invited me to be part of the team. Ever since, whenever I’d see him in the store or around town, he’d stop and chat to see how things were going. He’ll be missed, no doubt.”

Retired senior field editor Doug Rich offered similar sentiments.

“He was a really good man and a great boss,” Rich said. “Duane always seemed to have a positive attitude no matter what was going on. He was always looking for a practical solution to problems.”

He recalled that Ross first arrived in the 1980s, during the difficult years of the farm crisis.

“Those were tough years,” Rich said. “The paper was doing well, but they were lean times for our customers and farmers.”

Ross was the right choice for the position he held then, helping steer the company through that era, Rich said, and later was the right choice to be publisher.

Ross was also active in the agricultural industry and Dodge City organizations.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis (Watt) Anderson. He is survived by three children, three stepchildren, 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one brother.

Funeral services were held Aug. 12 at First United Methodist Church in Dodge City, Kansas, with a private family burial to be held at a later date. Donations may be made to First United Methodist Church or Dodge City Community College for student scholarships through Swaim Funeral Home, 1901 6th Ave., Dodge City, KS 67801. More information is available at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].