Ross McSwain is a native Texan. He grew up in the Texas Heartland and traveled the area as a working newspaperman for nearly four decades. A resident of San Angelo, Texas, since 1959, he is a retired award winning journalist, freelance writer and author of eight non-fiction books about his beloved West Texas, its people, places and its things of interest. He and his wife, Jean, have been married for 45 years. He has three adult children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He has served as president of the Tom Green County Historical Society, the Permian Historical Society, and is an active member of the Edwards Plateau Historical Association, the West Texas Historical Association and the Texas Folklore Society.