James R. Gross Jr. Papers

James R. "Jimmie" Gross Jr. (April 19, 1934- December 19, 1992) was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1960. From 1960-1963, Gross taught high school science in Nigeria with the Peace Corps. After returning from Nigeria, Gross moved to New York City. From 1964 to 1971, he worked with Operation Crossroads Africa,a non-profit that developed cross-cultural exchange programs between North American and African countries. In 1974, Gross co-founded Art Safari, Inc. to educate Americans about African art and culture. Gross taught at the Friends World College in the early 1970s, and went on to be a Project Coordinator at the American Museum of Natural History. He was also Vice President at Panlogo Inc., an import and export business focusing on African textiles. In the 1980s, Gross became a co-founder and owner of the Madison School of Computer Skills. In 1990, he moved to Tampa, Florida. He frequently traveled internationally in the early 1990s. Gross died in Mexico City on December 19, 1992. His funeral and burial at St. John's Cathedral in Denver was held on January 14, 1993.