Paul Magnus Gross, Sr. (September 15, 1895 – May 4, 1986) was an American chemist and educator at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

Early life

Gross was born on September 15, 1895.

Education

Gross received a B.S. degree from

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

in 1916, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1917 and 1919.

Career

In 1919, Gross started his career as an assistant professor of chemistry (1919-1920) at

. Gross was quickly promoted to full professor and served as chair of the chemistry department from 1921 to 1948. In 1947, Gross became the Dean of the Graduate School (1947-1952), Dean of the University (1952-1958), and Vice-President in the Educational Division (1949-1960).Duke University Libraries
"Preliminary Inventory of the Paul M. Gross papers, 1939-1979"
/ref> Gross' opinions on administrative matters led around 1960 to conflicts with President A. Hollis Edens in what came to be known as the Gross-Edens Affair. The debate was mostly over whether Duke University should become a regional or national university, and to what degree the institution should be known for its devotion to research or teaching. Gross pressed for rapid growth towards national stature as a research university, an outcome that Duke did later achieve. Edens resigned from his position as University President, and Gross was removed from his administrative position as a result of the conflict. Gross was a founder of the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies (later

Oak Ridge Associated Universities Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a consortium of American universities headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with offices in Arvada, Colorado and Cincinnati, Ohio and staff at other locations across the country. History The organiza ...

) and served as its President until 1949. President Harry S. Truman appointed Gross to the original

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

board in 1950, a position he held for 12 years. Gross served as

President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), founded in 1848, is the world's largest general scientific society. It serves 262 affiliated societies and academies of science and engineering, representing 10 million individuals wo ...

in 1962.

Awards and honors

He was elected a Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

in 1939. (search on year=1939 and institution=Duke University)

Personal life

Gross died on May 4, 1986, in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

. Upon his death he was survived by a son, a daughter, and two grandsons.

References

1895 births 1986 deaths Presidents of Duke University Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies faculty City College of New York alumni Columbia University alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society 20th-century American academics Presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science {{chemist-stub