A natural "idea man," Lou Gross comes up with a good idea and then makes it a reality. After enlisting in the New York National Guard in 1948 upon graduation from high school, he earned a competitive appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1950. Commissioned as an Engineer Officer, he served three years on active duty before leaving the military in order to become a professional engineer and businessman. He has devoted his life to making West Point a better place for future generations of aspiring Army leaders. In this interview, he talks about his childhood, the New York National Guard of the late '40s, and USMA in the early '50s. A particularly interesting section of this interview covers his life after the military, and the various ways he has given back to West Point over the years. He talks about his relationship with Herbert S. Lichtenberg (USMA ’55) and Lewis L. Zickel (USMA ’49), who made it their mission as "The Three Amigos" to improve West Point's academic, athletic, and spiritual programs, and he discusses the tradition of the “March Back” at the end of Plebe summer. Finally, he explains why West Point is so important, not only to him, but to the entire nation.
