In the early years of his Senate career, Moss followed the tradition of sitting in the back row and keeping quiet. As he gained seniority, however, he became increasingly visible and eventually gained a measure of national prominence, in particular with regard to environmental, consumer, and health care issues. He became an expert on water issues and wrote a book on the subject, The Water Crisis (1967); worked to secure additional national parks for Utah; and initiated important investigations into the care of the elderly in nursing and retirement homes, and into physicians' abuses of the federal Medicaid program.

His work as chair of the Consumer Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee probably brought him the most national attention. He sponsored a measure that required improved labeling on cigarette packages about the health hazards of smoking and banned cigarette advertising on radio and television; he also sponsored the Consumer Product Warranty and Guarantee Act, the Toy Safety Act, the Product Safety Act, and the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. Following his loss in 1976 to Orrin Hatch, a conservative lawyer who had the support of Ronald Reagan, he returned to private life and the practice of law in Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City.

See: Andrew W. Buffmire, "Frank E. Moss," in Deanna Nash, ed., Citizens Look at Congress (1972).

John S. McCormick