Route 66 Biography 

For most people, Route 66 is a road. For Arcadia residents Jim Ross and Shellee Graham, it has been a lifelong adventure, a calling, and ultimately the foundation of a shared life. 

The couple, who live along Route 66 east of Edmond, have spent decades documenting, preserving and telling the stories of America’s most famous highway. Along the way, they have become respected historians, photographers, authors and advocates for the Mother Road. 

Their latest book, Route 66: The First 100 Years, has earned national acclaim, including a Gold Medal from the Independent Book Publishers Association and an Oklahoma Book Award. Yet for Ross and Graham, the recognition is secondary to the mission. 

Their contributions to preserving and promoting Route 66 have also earned them a place of honor in this year’s LibertyFest celebration. Ross and Graham have been named Grand Marshals of the 2026 LibertyFest Parade, recognizing their decades of work documenting and championing the Mother Road during Route 66’s centennial year. 

“We do it because we love the road,” Ross said. “Nobody’s getting rich writing books. We felt like if we didn’t do it, somebody else might, and it might not be as good.” 

Their story began, fittingly enough, because of Route 66. 

“We met at a Route 66 event in Texas in 1996,” Ross said. The two continued crossing paths at highway events before eventually building a life together. Today, nearly everything they do traces back to their shared passion for the historic roadway. 

Ross’s fascination began in childhood. Growing up in the 1950s, family vacations and the classic television series Route 66 sparked a lifelong curiosity. 

“I’ve always been intrigued by roads, wondering where they go,” he said. “When the Route 66 renaissance got underway around 1990, I went out and started exploring the road and just became addicted.” 

For Graham, the spark came during a 1991 trip from St. Louis to Santa Monica. 

“I was absolutely excited about it,” she recalled. Armed with a camera and one of the few Route 66 books available at the time, she began photographing the highway. A Route 66 photo exhibit she created in 1992 proved so popular that it toured museums, libraries and cultural venues around the country for nearly two decades. 

“I thought if I was excited about it, everybody would be excited about it,” Graham said. “And people loved it.” 

Together, the couple has authored multiple books while researching thousands of miles of highway, interviewing residents, uncovering forgotten stories and collecting historical photographs. Their newest work was intentionally ambitious. 

“We wanted to create something that’s never been done,” Ross said. “A complete biography of the route—its birth, life, demise, renaissance and into the future.” 

That research often leads to unexpected discoveries. A vintage slide purchased online became the starting point for a deep dive into the life of a nationally known Native American entertainer. Old postcards inspired historical investigations that tracked down the stories behind handwritten messages sent decades ago. 

Even after all these years, the road continues to reveal new stories. 

“Route 66 is much more than a road,” Graham said. “It’s a collection of stories about people chasing dreams, overcoming challenges and finding adventure.” 

As the highway celebrates its centennial in 2026, Ross and Graham remain devoted caretakers of those stories— ensuring that future generations can discover the same wonder they found so many years ago. 

For more information, go to jimross66.com.