Senator Frank Edward Moss - Contact Information

Frank Edward “Ted” Moss (September 23, 1911 – January 29, 2003) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Utah in the United States Senate from January 3, 1959, to January 3, 1977. A member of the Democratic Party, he served three consecutive terms and, as of 2025, was the last Democrat to serve as a United States Senator from Utah. Over the course of his Senate career, he became known for his work on consumer protection, public health, environmental issues, and the development of public lands and water resources in the American West.

Moss was born on September 23, 1911, in Holladay, Utah, then a rural community near Salt Lake City. He grew up in a Latter-day Saint family and spent his early years in Utah, where he attended local public schools. His upbringing in a predominantly agricultural and rapidly developing region of the Intermountain West helped shape his later interest in land use, water policy, and the needs of Western communities. As a young man he was active in church and community affairs, experiences that introduced him to public service and leadership.

After completing his early education in Utah, Moss attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He went on to study law at George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., receiving his law degree and gaining early exposure to the workings of the federal government while living in the nation’s capital. Admitted to the bar, he returned to Utah to practice law. His legal career, which included work in private practice and public roles, provided him with a grounding in regulatory issues, municipal affairs, and the legal dimensions of public policy that would later inform his legislative work in the Senate.

Before his election to the United States Senate, Moss built a career in Utah public life that combined legal practice with political and civic engagement. He served in various local and state capacities, gaining experience in administration and governance and establishing himself as a prominent Democrat in a largely Republican state. Through these roles he developed a reputation as a diligent and pragmatic public servant, which helped lay the foundation for his successful 1958 campaign for the Senate.

Moss entered the United States Senate on January 3, 1959, at the outset of a period of profound change in American politics and society. Serving three terms, from 1959 to 1977, he participated in the legislative process during the civil rights era, the Great Society programs, the Vietnam War, and the early stages of the modern environmental and consumer movements. As a senator, he represented the interests of his Utah constituents while engaging with national issues, working within the Democratic caucus and across party lines. He was involved in shaping legislation related to public lands and water development in the West, reflecting Utah’s longstanding concerns over reclamation, resource management, and federal land policy.

During his Senate tenure, Moss became particularly associated with consumer protection and public health initiatives. He supported measures to improve product safety, strengthen regulatory oversight, and provide better information to consumers. He also backed legislation addressing environmental quality, including efforts to protect natural resources and enhance recreational opportunities on public lands important to Utah and the broader region. His work on committees dealing with commerce, interior and insular affairs, and related subjects allowed him to influence policy in areas central to both his state and the country as a whole. Throughout his 18 years in office, he participated actively in debates over social welfare, health care, and the role of the federal government in addressing emerging national challenges.

Moss’s Senate career concluded after he was defeated for reelection in 1976, ending his service on January 3, 1977. In the years that followed, he remained engaged in legal, civic, and policy-related activities, drawing on his experience in national office. He continued to be recognized in Utah and beyond for his contributions to consumer legislation, public health policy, and the development and stewardship of Western lands and water resources. Frank Edward Moss died on January 29, 2003, leaving a legacy as a three-term United States Senator who played a significant role in mid‑twentieth‑century American legislative history and who, as of 2025, remained the last Democrat to have represented Utah in the United States Senate.