A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Gross has
Syrian-Jewish ancestry from his mother's side. He graduated from
East Lansing High School (1985). He received his bachelor's degree in American history and government from
Cornell University (1989), his master's degree in American history from
Harvard University (1991), and an honorary PhD in humane letters from
Lake Forest College. He and his wife live in Westport, CT. The couple has two children. ==References==