Rate My Professor Thomas C. Moses

Thomas C. Moses served as a finance professor in the Business & Economics faculty at The University of Arizona's Eller College of Management. Born around 1925, he started his professional journey as a paper boy for the Arizona Republic & Gazette in 1937. He served in the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Army before becoming district manager for the newspaper in 1946 and then manager of the Fred Hurley Trucking Co. for eight years. In 1963, at the age of 38, Moses enrolled at the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in trucking management. When that program was discontinued, he switched his focus to economics and finance, continuing to deliver newspapers to Bisbee and Douglas six days a week while studying.

Moses completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona and stayed to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics, with a minor in finance. During his time as a teaching assistant, he developed a passion for teaching and working with students, which led him to join the Eller College faculty upon completing his doctorate. He taught one of the first classes in the undergraduate finance major, served as undergraduate coordinator for the finance department, acted as a major advisor, and was past assistant head of the Department of Finance. Known as a no-nonsense professor who demanded much from his students, Moses was highly accessible, often meeting them at local spots like the Green Dolphin or Gentle Ben’s to provide guidance and share relevant experiences from his career. He was one of the department's most popular teachers, earning consistent respect, and served as an excellent mentor to both students and junior faculty, including Dean Jeff Schatzberg. Moses retired around 2002. After his death in 2004, his legacy continued through the establishment of the Thomas C. Moses Memorial Scholarship Endowment for undergraduates, the Tom Moses Award for outstanding student organization advisors created in 2002, and the Thomas C. Moses Professorship in Finance endowed in 2013 by his former students.