Haverford College

Paul B. Moses: Haverford Graduate, Trailblazing Art Historian

Curated by Michael A. Moses and Stephanie Strother

With an accompanying essay by Emma Scharff ‘25

Rebecca and Rick White Gallery

Lutnick Library, Haverford College

August 21 to December 2023

Paul Bell Moses (1929–1966) was an art historian and critic whose remarkable life was defined by barriers overcome. He was born on December 9, 1929, the son of a house painter and a laundress. Alongside his four brothers and three sisters, Moses grew up in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, down the street from Haverford College. From an early age, he showed a talent for painting and drawing, which his art teacher at Ardmore Junior High encouraged. He later enrolled at the prestigious Lower Merion High School, where he excelled at classes and became valedictorian. Moses was awarded a scholarship to Haverford, where he majored in foreign languages and graduated magna cum laude.  As one of the first Black students to attend Haverford College, Moses encountered significant racism. However, the College’s relationship with the Barnes Foundation in nearby Merion nourished his passions for art history and art making.