An international lawyer who worked the UN’s procedures
On June 25, 1950, he reported on Korea and steered the Security Council’s procedure toward a vote on the resolution.
Ernest A. Gross was an international lawyer and U.S. diplomat whose work joined legal counsel, postwar administration, and representation of American policy at the United Nations. When the Korean War began in June 1950, he led the U.S. delegation and managed the Council’s procedures and voting so that Resolution 82 could be adopted. The result was a diplomatic success made possible by the Soviet delegate’s absence, but it also exposed the tension between collective security and great-power rivalry. He later practiced international law, assisting the Tibetan government in exile and challenging South Africa’s apartheid policy.
Career Timeline
- 1931–1933Legal adviser, U.S. Department of State
- 1940–1943Associate counsel, National Labor Relations Board
- 1943–1945Chief, economic section, Civil Affairs Division, U.S. Army General Staff
- 1945–1949Legal adviser and deputy to the Assistant Secretary for Occupied Areas, U.S. Department of State
- 1949Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs
- 1949–1953Deputy U.S. representative to the UN, acting head of delegation in 1949–1950
- 1953–1999Lawyer, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
- 1959–1960UN lobbyist and adviser for the Tibetan government in exile
- 1960년대Brought a case before the World Court challenging South African apartheid