Frank Moss (politician)

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Frank Moss

Frank Edward Moss (* 23. September 1911 in Salt Lake City , Utah ; †  29. January 2003 ) was an American politician of the Democratic Party , of the State of Utah 1959-1977 in the US Senate represented.

Early years and legal career

Frank Moss was the youngest of seven children born to James and Maude Moss. His marriage in 1934 had four children; his wife Phyllis died in 2007. After graduating from Granite High School in Salt Lake City in 1929, Moss attended the University of Utah until 1933 and until 1937 the Law School of George Washington University . He then served as a lawyer on the staff of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission until 1939 . That year he became the Law Clerk of James H. Wolfe , Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court .

In 1940 Moss was elected a judge in Salt Lake City City Court himself. During World War II he was a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Army Air Corps in England . After the war he was again a judge in his hometown and from 1950 prosecutor in Salt Lake County . In this capacity he was confirmed by the voters in 1954.

politics

Moss ran for the 1956 Democratic nomination for governor of Utah, but lost to LC Romney, who was defeated by Republican George Dewey Clyde . Two years later he was nominated by his party for the Senate elections . In addition to Republican incumbent Arthur Vivian Watkins , former Governor J. Bracken Lee also ran as an independent candidate after losing to Watkins in his party's primary . Watkins (34.8 percent) and Lee (26.4 percent) shared the votes of the Republican electorate, so Moss won with a 38.7 percent share. He took up his mandate in Washington, DC on January 3, 1959.

As a result, Moss was re-elected twice with a clear majority. In 1964 he won with 57.3 percent of the vote against Ernest L. Wilkinson , President of Brigham Young University , in 1970 with 56.2 percent against Congressman Laurence J. Burton . During his tenure as a senator, he chaired, among other things, the subcommittee of the trade committee on consumer issues. He drew national attention for his commitment to environmental protection and health care. He also became an expert on the subject of water.

Moss introduced the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act in the Senate, after which detailed information about the health risks posed by cigarettes had to be printed on their packaging; it also banned tobacco advertising on the radio. Other consumer protection bills he created included the Consumer Product Warranty and Guarantee Act , the Toy Safety Act , the Product Safety Act, and the Poison Prevention Packaging Act . In 1974, together with Senator Frank Church from Idaho , he tried to get the first legislative initiative for a hospice program , but it was not put to a vote due to a lack of support from other Senate members. From 1982 onwards, hospice grants were regulated through the Medicare system after a congressional resolution .

From 1973 to 1977 Moss was also chairman of the space committee . He ran for re-election in 1976, but this time lost to Republican Orrin Hatch . Frank Moss left the Senate on January 3, 1977; since then no Democrat has represented the state of Utah there. He practiced as a lawyer in Washington and in Salt Lake City, where he died in 2003.

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personal data
SURNAME Moss, Frank
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Moss, Frank Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH September 23, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Salt Lake City , Utah
DATE OF DEATH January 29, 2003
Place of death Salt Lake City , Utah