The Syracuse University School of Social Work Mourns Gerald M. Gross G’77, who passed away in Syracuse aged 82 on Oct. 18, 2025.
Gross was born on Jan. 25, 1943, in Doylestown, PA. He earned his baccalaureate degree from Goshen College and master’s degrees from Case-Western University and Syracuse University (Instructional Technology, 1977).
Originally a social worker at university hospitals in Cleveland, OH, in 1968 Gross became a professor in the School of Social Work. He taught in the School’s graduate and undergraduate programs, served as Director of its baccalaureate program, and initiated a study abroad program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 1988, he became the School’s Acting Dean, a position he held for one year. He retired in 1998.
Gross was an active member of many University and School committees, presented papers regularly at meetings of professional organizations, and published numerous articles in professional journals.
A member of the Council on Social Work Education, Gross served multiple terms on CSWE’s commissions on accreditation and educational planning. He also served the Educational Consultation Service, as a consulting editor for the Journal of Education for Social Work, and as a chair and member of multiple accreditation site visit teams.
Gross was a charter member of the New York State Social Work Education Association, where he held leadership positions. He was also a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
He was predeceased by his wife Joan E. Gross in 2010.