Table of Contents Biographical Note Historical Note Container List

As a naval officer during World War II, William Gross served on the ship named the USS BROOKLYN, part of a new fleet of squadron ships preparing for World War II. The USS BROOKLYN had a Bronze Bell that decorated the ship during its tenure in in the U.S. Navy.

William Gross was kind enough to donate material relating to the USS BROOKLYN such as some pieces of the battle flag flown over the ship during several of its World War II battles, some photographs of the ship itself, a baseball cap with the USS BROOKLYN CL- 40 logo. The ship's Bronze Bell was donated to Brooklyn College in 1951 with the help of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity and is on prominent display in the center of the college's new library building.