When his father's business took the family to New York City in 1862, Ross was tutored at home by his cousin Louise Nathurst, who was seven years his senior.

[8] The collection of objects donated by Ross to the Museum of Fine Arts over the course of his career as a collector covers a wide geographical, chronological, and material diversity.

His father and uncle gave him a piece of property in Copley Square, on the corner of Clarendon St. and St. James Ave., across from Trinity Church and close to the new Museum of Fine Arts.

[10] The Ludlow was financially successful; Ross used the profits to buy more art which he exhibited in the hotel, causing Smith to refer to it as the "Palazzo Rossi".

[12] On September 12, 1935, Ross died at the Savoy Hotel in London of a cerebral hemorrhage that he had suffered three days earlier; he and his assistant Arthur E. Brown had been in Europe for several months.

[13] Ross was cremated and his ashes were placed in a Tang dynasty burial urn, a gift from Messrs. Yamanaka, dealers in Chinese and Japanese antiques who had been personal friends.

[19] The MFA established the Denman Waldo Ross Society in 2003 to honor individuals, corporations, and foundations who assist with the continued growth and enhancement of the museum's world-renowned collections.