Robert Moses 1888-1981 - Recroom - R. I. P - Obituary

Parks & Recreation, Dec, 2001

Throughout his career in public works that spanned half a century, Robert Moses earned his title, `the master builder' by planning and building highways, parks, bridges, and recreation areas from 1919 until his retirement in 1968. He was an outspoken, fiery, controversial visionary whose strong character, energy, zeal, and singleness of purpose transformed the landscapes of New York State, New York City, and Long Island. His dedication to public service was both exemplary and legendary. He never received payment for public service, with the exception of his two years as Secretary of State in 1927-1928, until he became Park Commissioner in 1933.

He fought millionaires, politicians and high officials to preserve the natural beauty of Long Island, the Adirondacks, the Palisades, and the Jamaica Bay area of New York City. His influence extends from Montauk Point and Coney Island to the Niagara Frontier in New York City to various cities throughout this country and South America.

After obtaining academic degrees from Yale, Oxford and Columbia, Robert Moses started his career in public works in 1919 when Governor Alfred E. Smith appointed him the Chief of Staff of the New York State Reconstruction Commission.

In 1920 Moses presented a plan for statewide improvement in parks and highways. The opportunity to make his plan a reality came in 1924, when he was appointed by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, Herbert H. Lehman and Thomas E. Dewey to be head of the state park system of New York and serve as chairman of the Long Island State Parks Commission. Prior to 1924, New York State had no unified park system, and the only state park in the area was on Fire Island, a sand reef reached only by boat. When Moses became Park Commissioner in 1933, there were 119 playgrounds in the city. In 1960, there were 777. Under Moses' direction, the Parks Department had built 15 outdoor swimming pools, 17 miles of beaches, and 84 miles of parkways. Park acreage had increased from 14,000 acres to 34,673 acres. His achievements include: Heckscher, the Massena and St. Lawrence power projects, Robert Moses State Park, Oak Beach, Wildwood State Park, Sunken Meadow State Park, Shed Stadium, Lincoln Center, the New York Coliseum, and the Coney Island Aquarium, the transformation of the Jamaica Bay area, and the Shore Drive in Brooklyn.

One of Commissioner Moses' outstanding feats was the conversion of a deserted stretch of beach previously accessible only by boat into Jones Beach State Park that opened in 1929. Another marvel created by Commissioner Moses was the conversion of a former swamp and dump that was filled in and converted into a 1,200-acre fair site for the 1939 World's Fair, which in turn became Flushing Meadows (later Flushing Meadows-Corona) Park. Under Moses' leadership, the State Park System of New York became a national model.

Robert Moses' achievements brought him international renown and numerous medals, awards, and honorary degrees. In an address he presented at Princeton, Robert Moses said "In one way or another the good citizen builds for the future -- his own, his family's, his country's -- and his actual accomplishments is what the Recording Angel enters indelibly in the Golden Book." Clearly, Robert Moses attained the standards he set for himself, his city and ultimately his nation.