Ernest A. Gross
Encyclopedia
Ernest A. Gross was a United States diplomat
and lawyer
who headed the U.S. delegation to the United Nations
in the lead-up to the Korean War
.
on September 23, 1906. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
and then attended Harvard College
, graduating in 1927. He then attended Oxford University before returning to Cambridge, Massachusetts
to attend Harvard Law School
. While at law school, he met Kathryn Watson, daughter of Sen.
James Eli Watson
(R
—IN); the couple were married in 1933.
After graduating from law school, in 1931, Gross joined the United States Department of State
as a legal adviser. Two years later, in 1933, he joined the National Recovery Administration
, although he stayed for only a year before he moved on to become counsel to the National Association of Manufacturers
. He returned to government service in 1940 when he became associate counsel of the National Labor Relations Board
.
With the United States' entry into World War II, in 1943 Gross was commissioned
as a captain in the United States Army
. (He was later promoted to lieutenant colonel
.) In the Army, Gross served as chief of the economic section of the Civil Affairs Division of the General Staff
of the United States Department of War
.
After the war, Gross rejoined the State Department, serving as Legal Adviser of the Department of State
and as deputy to the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas
(Gen.
John H. Hilldring
, then, from 1947, Charles E. Saltzman
). In 1948, Gross signed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
on behalf of the United States. From March through October 1949, Gross was the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
.
On October 11, 1949, United States Secretary of State
Dean Acheson
appointed Gross as the United States' deputy delegate to the United Nations
. Only two months later, the chief delegate, Warren Austin
, took a leave of absence, and Gross took over as acting head of the U.S. delegation to the U.N. The major issue facing the United Nations at that time was the Soviet Union's proposal that, with the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War
, the Communist People's Republic of China
should replace the Republic of China
on the United Nations Security Council
. On January 13, 1950, the Soviet delegate, Jacov Malik, walked out of the Security Council in protest. Malik remained absent for several months, and as such the Soviet Union failed to exercise its veto power
to block United Nations Security Council Resolution 82
, which condemned North Korea
at the beginning of the Korean War
; on behalf of the U.S., Gross voted in favor of the resolution. In fall 1950, Warren Austin returned from his leave of absence, and Gross continued to serve as Austin's deputy until 1953.
In 1953, Gross joined the law firm
of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
; he would remain associated with the firm for the rest of his life. During the Army–McCarthy hearings, Gross represented Ralph Bunche
, who was called before the committee, and Dag Hammarskjöld
, who was threatened with being called before the committee. Gross achieved notoriety as a lawyer later his career when in the 1960s he brought a suit in the World Court
challenging South Africa
's policy of apartheid.
Gross died on May 2, 1999 at his home in New York City. He was 92 years old.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who headed the U.S. delegation to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in the lead-up to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Biography
Ernest A. Gross was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
on September 23, 1906. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
and then attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, graduating in 1927. He then attended Oxford University before returning to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
to attend Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. While at law school, he met Kathryn Watson, daughter of Sen.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
James Eli Watson
James Eli Watson
James Eli Watson was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Indiana. He was the Senate's second official majority leader. While an article published by the Senate gives his year of birth as 1862, this is most probably incorrect.He was born in Winchester, Indiana, one of six children...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
—IN); the couple were married in 1933.
After graduating from law school, in 1931, Gross joined the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
as a legal adviser. Two years later, in 1933, he joined the National Recovery Administration
National Recovery Administration
The National Recovery Administration was the primary New Deal agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The goal was to eliminate "cut-throat competition" by bringing industry, labor and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices...
, although he stayed for only a year before he moved on to become counsel to the National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 additional offices across the country...
. He returned to government service in 1940 when he became associate counsel of the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
.
With the United States' entry into World War II, in 1943 Gross was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
as a captain in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. (He was later promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
.) In the Army, Gross served as chief of the economic section of the Civil Affairs Division of the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
of the United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
.
After the war, Gross rejoined the State Department, serving as Legal Adviser of the Department of State
Legal Adviser of the Department of State
The Legal Adviser of the Department of State is a position within the United States Department of State. It was created by an Act of Congress on February 23, 1931 and given a rank equivalent to that of an Assistant Secretary...
and as deputy to the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas
Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas
The Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas oversaw the Office of Occupied Areas, which was created by the United States Department of State on April 8, 1946 to coordinate its activities in Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea...
(Gen.
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
John H. Hilldring
John H. Hilldring
John Henry Hilldring was a United States General during World War II and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas from 1946 to 1947.-Biography:...
, then, from 1947, Charles E. Saltzman
Charles E. Saltzman
Charles Eskridge Saltzman was a United States soldier, businessman and State Department official.-Biography:Charles E. Saltzman was born on September 19, 1903 in Zamboanga City in the Philippines, where his father, Charles McKinley Saltzman, was a captain in the Signal Corps of the United States...
). In 1948, Gross signed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 as General Assembly Resolution 260. The Convention entered into force on 12 January 1951. It defines genocide in legal terms, and is the culmination of...
on behalf of the United States. From March through October 1949, Gross was the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Legislative Affairs within the United States Department of State.- List of Assistant Secretaries of State for Legislative Affairs :-External links:**...
.
On October 11, 1949, United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Dean Acheson
Dean Acheson
Dean Gooderham Acheson was an American statesman and lawyer. As United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Harry S. Truman from 1949 to 1953, he played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War...
appointed Gross as the United States' deputy delegate to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Only two months later, the chief delegate, Warren Austin
Warren Austin
Warren Robinson Austin was an American politician and statesman; among other roles, he served as Senator from Vermont....
, took a leave of absence, and Gross took over as acting head of the U.S. delegation to the U.N. The major issue facing the United Nations at that time was the Soviet Union's proposal that, with the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, the Communist People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
should replace the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
on the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
. On January 13, 1950, the Soviet delegate, Jacov Malik, walked out of the Security Council in protest. Malik remained absent for several months, and as such the Soviet Union failed to exercise its veto power
United Nations Security Council veto power
The United Nations Security Council "power of veto" refers to the veto power wielded solely by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council , enabling them to prevent the adoption of any "substantive" draft Council resolution, regardless of the level of international support...
to block United Nations Security Council Resolution 82
United Nations Security Council Resolution 82
United Nations Security Council Resolution 82 was a measure adopted by the United Nations Security Council on June 25, 1950. The resolution demanded North Korea immediately end its invasion of South Korea, the catalyst for the beginning of the Korean War...
, which condemned North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
at the beginning of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
; on behalf of the U.S., Gross voted in favor of the resolution. In fall 1950, Warren Austin returned from his leave of absence, and Gross continued to serve as Austin's deputy until 1953.
In 1953, Gross joined the law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP is a New York-based international law firm with 260 attorneys in 15 offices worldwide. In 2009, its declared revenues were approximately $135 million...
; he would remain associated with the firm for the rest of his life. During the Army–McCarthy hearings, Gross represented Ralph Bunche
Ralph Bunche
Ralph Johnson Bunche or 1904December 9, 1971) was an American political scientist and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Palestine. He was the first person of color to be so honored in the history of the Prize...
, who was called before the committee, and Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
, who was threatened with being called before the committee. Gross achieved notoriety as a lawyer later his career when in the 1960s he brought a suit in the World Court
World Court
* any of the international courts located in The Hague:**the International Court of Justice , a UN court that settles disputes between nations...
challenging South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's policy of apartheid.
Gross died on May 2, 1999 at his home in New York City. He was 92 years old.