User:Jarickman2/Artus Moser

Artus Moser (September 14, 1894 - December 24, 1992) was an accredited writer, educator, and historian prominent for his role in the collection and preservation of Applachain folk music and culture.

Growing Up

Artus Moser was born in Hickory, NC in 1894 to David Lafayette 'Fayette' and Cordelia (née King) Moser. Two years later, in 1896, Artus and his family moved close to Swannanoa, NC - the place his mother grew up and where her family still resided. In 1904, Artus' father was hired as forester of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC by George W. Vanderbilt. The Moser family subsequently moved onto the estate soon afterwards, where they stayed for 17 years. Following this, Fayette Moser became the first warden of the Mount Mitchell park and the family moved onto the mountain. According to Artus, it was his father's love of the Appalachians that drove his passion for the culture of the folk society native to the lands.

Artus graduated from Biltmore High School in 1917 and served a year of active duty during World War I in France shortly following his graduation. Upon his return from duty, Artus enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning his B.A. in history.

Life and Career

After leaving UNC Chapel Hill, Moser returned to his mother's childhood home and was hired as principle of Swannanoa High School which he served as for two years. Following this, Moser decided to pursue a master's degree in history and revisited Chapel Hill for his graduate degree. After attaining such, Moser went on to reflect his self-proclaimed life long passion for learning by studying and researching at a number of institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Grand Central Art School in New York City. Additionally, he served as a professor for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the English department.

It was 1929 when he married Mabel Eula Young - hailing from [Spencer, North Carolina] and an alumna of the [North Carolina College for Women in Greensboro]] - and afterwards they shortly moved to Middlesboro, Kentucky - a smaller town near Harrogate, Tennessee - where both Artus and Mable served as faculty of the Lincoln Memorial University. It was here in Middlesboro where all three of the couple's children were born: Dorothea Joan, Artus Monroe, Jr., and Janette Irene.

Moser began to chronicle Appalachian folk songs while teaching at Lincoln Memorial. He started by encouraging his students to study their own cultural background, and by 1945, Moser had amassed such a collection that he offered to donate his recordings and collections to the Library of Congress. The then-archivist of the Library of Congress, Duncan Emrich, accepted the offer and further encouraged Moser to seek-out and record Appalachian folk songs by loaning him a portable recorder.

By the time of his death, Artus Moser managed to collect and record hundreds of Appalachian folk songs, many of which would have been lost at some point afterwards.

After Moser's contributions to the Library of Congress

External links

• example.com