George S. Grossman, library director and professor emeritus, dies at age 80

  • by Carla Meyer

George S. Grossman, UC Davis School of Law library director and professor emeritus, died on July 11 in Portland, Ore. He was 80 years old.

Professor Grossman steered the library from 1993 until his retirement in 2006. He also taught legal history at the School of Law. His publications include the anthologies Legal Research: Historical Foundations of the Electronic Age (1994), and The Spirit of American Law (1999).

“He served as library director during some very lean budget years, when the library underwent severe cuts,” said Mabie Law Library Director Judy Janes, who served as assistant director to Grossman. “Through his leadership, the library took appropriate measures to downsize and remain robust and relevant in providing services to the law school community.”

Professor Grossman was born in 1938 in Poltár, in the former Czechoslovakia, and moved with his family in 1940 to his mother’s native Hungary. After the German takeover of Hungary, Professor Grossman’s family was interned and his father was killed. Professor Grossman and his mother later escaped a Jewish ghetto. In 1949, he came to the United States, alone, with the assistance of a Jewish aid organization, and lived in foster care until graduating from high school.

Professor Grossman received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago, a law degree from Stanford, and a master’s in library science from Brigham Young University.

Before arriving at King Hall, Professor Grossman directed the law libraries at the University of Utah, University of Minnesota and Northwestern University. Throughout his career, he was an active member of the Association of American Law Schools, the American Bar Association, and the American Association of Law Libraries, which this year elected him to its Hall of Fame.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Susanna. He is survived by his son, Zoltán, and daughter-in-law, Debra. A memorial service is planned for Aug. 11 in Milwaukie, Ore.