2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 772
Celebrating the life of Richard Joseph Grosh.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2025
WHEREAS, Richard Joseph Grosh, a veteran, a trailblazer in mechanical engineering, a distinguished higher education administrator, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather, died on January 23, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Richard Dick Joseph Grosh grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and attended Purdue University until he was drafted into the United States Army in 1946; and
WHEREAS, Dick Grosh was stationed in Japan with the Army Counterintelligence Corps until 1947, then returned to Purdue University to complete his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering; and
WHEREAS, Dick Grosh worked for Capehart-Farnsworth Corporation, where he studied innovative technologies, then subsequently earned a doctorate from Purdue University and worked as a professor of mechanical engineering and dean of the institution's school of engineering; and
WHEREAS, during his time as a faculty member of Purdue University, Dick Grosh engaged in teaching and research of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and other areas of study; he was the author of more than 100 articles on technical and educational issues; and
WHEREAS, recognized as a leader in higher education, Dick Grosh was appointed as president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 1971 and helped revitalize the institution by establishing a modern sports and recreational center, renovating the dining hall, creating new parking facilities and graduate housing units, and beginning construction on a new library; and
WHEREAS, while president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dick Grosh also served as trustee of Troy Savings Bank, Emma Willard School, and the New York Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities; in addition, he served as chair of the Awards Committee of the National Academy of Engineering and chair of the academy's Committee on Minorities in Engineering; and
WHEREAS, Dick Grosh next returned to the private sector as chair and chief executive officer of Ranco, Inc., in Ohio, serving in that capacity until 1987; and
WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement, Dick Grosh sailed his boat through Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence Seaway, then rounded Nova Scotia and settled in Maine; he was asked by Maine Maritime Academy to draft a long-range plan for the institution and ultimately served for 15 years as a member of its board of trustees; and
WHEREAS, Dick Grosh was a man of many talents who relished every opportunity to spend time with his loved ones and was proud to support his children and stepchildren in all their endeavors, including his stepdaughter, Juli Briskman, who currently serves on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his first wife, Susan, Dick Grosh will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of nearly 40 years, Suzanne; his children, Katherine, Anton, Richard, John, Jane, and Susie, and their families; his stepchildren, Laurie, David, and Juli, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Richard Joseph Grosh; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Richard Joseph Grosh as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory.