Gordon and Gretchen Gross

Gordon and Gretchen Gross.

“Tzedakah, or righteous charity, is a fundamental tenet of Judaism that teaches us to share our gifts with others.”

Gordon and Gretchen Gross have long been among the university’s most generous benefactors. They made a $1 million gift to help fund the first endowed professorship in the university’s Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage, establishing the Gordon and Gretchen Gross Professorship in Jewish Studies.

They are major donors to the Law School, and an O’Brian Hall classroom is named in their honor. Gross also gave a significant gift to the School of Dental Medicine, creating a dental student fund in memory of his brother, Alan Gross, PhD ’96, MS ’83, BS ’52.

Gordon Gross, who earned his bachelor of laws degree from the UB Law School in 1955, is semi-retired as a senior partner in the Buffalo law firm Gross, Shuman, Brizdle & Gilfillan, PC. He is very active in the Buffalo community and was a member of the State University of New York Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2008. He received the Samuel P. Capen Award, the UB Alumni Association’s highest honor, in 2010.

Gretchen Gross, an early childhood educator, founded Audubon in College Park, a care center for young children, and served as its director for more than 30 years.

Gross’s support of UB is rooted in its economic potential. “The university is the number one economic engine in Western New York,” he says. “Not only is it an important employer, but it spawns new businesses and attracts people to the region. I’ve seen for quite some time that the university is the future of this community, and the most important thing we can do for the growth of the community is to help grow the university. It’s just that simple.”