A Lasting Impact

A public outpouring of grief followed the announcement of Moses’ death. Condolence letters, written by friends as well as strangers, began arriving almost immediately at the family’s door. Former and current students shared their memories, emphasizing Moses’ passion for teaching and his compassion toward them. Ray Lechman wrote, “Paul was my teacher in Rome, my friend in Paris. But one has many teachers and many friends; Paul was more than that. He was a man who combined these qualities of guidance and companionship in such a way, and with such basic integrity and zest for life, that he created admiration and love wherever he went. You know this. What you might not know, however, is the influence which Paul has had upon me––and (though I should speak for myself alone) upon all his other students––be it in Rome, Boston, or Chicago.” John Hayward, a university colleague, spoke to the magnitude of emotions shared by many: “Not since President Kennedy’s death have I been so haunted by the loss of a good citizen and a lovable person.”

At the age of 36, Moses had just begun his career as an art historian at the time of his death. The work he had completed for his dissertation and book eventually formed the basis for Jean Adhémar and Françoise Cachin’s Degas: The Complete Etchings, Lithographs and Monotypes, published in French in 1973 and in English the following year. Moses was not listed among the catalogue’s authors, but its foreword, written by John Rewald––a scholar of French Impressionism who joined the University of Chicago in 1964––acknowledged that Adhémar’s sections on Degas’ etchings in particular drew heavily on Moses’ research. In 1983, an anonymous donor established the Paul B. Moses Scholarship Fund at Haverford College. It continues to be awarded annually to students “who [exemplify] the character, talent and qualities of Paul Moses.”