Obituaries

Basil John Moore, 84, professor emeritus of economics, passed away March 8, 2018. Moore, who received his BA from the University of Toronto and his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, came to Wesleyan in 1958. He retired in 2003. Moore is renowned as the progenitor of the “horizontalist” analysis of endogenous money (an approach to money creation that states that reserves be provided on demand at rates set by central banks, rather than being managed by central banks). His publications include Horizontalists and Verticalists (1988), and Shaking the Invisible Hand (2006), and his ideas have shaped post-Keynesian economics. Professor of Economics Richard Grossman, said: “Basil Moore was a passionate challenger of economic orthodoxy. I met him during my first day on campus (we were both on our way to a freshman advising meeting) and he immediately suggested that we have lunch—mostly, I think, so he could evangelize someone fresh out of graduate school to his horizontalist view. Although I was never ‘converted,’ Basil’s gentle persuasion made me rethink a lot of what I held true about economics.” Moore is survived by his wife, Sibs; his daughter and his three sons, as well as his three Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs.

David Schorr, professor of art, died on June 16, at the age of 71. Schorr received his BA from Brown University, and his BFA and MFA from Yale University. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1971, and has taught a wide range of courses including printmaking, drawing, graphic design, and calligraphy. He received the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2015. Shorr’s career as an artist and designer was also broad-ranging. He provided illustrations for numerous books (including Parallel Lives, by Professor of English emerita Phyllis Rose, and Distinguished Professor of Literary Translation Norman Shapiro’s translations of La Fontaine’s fables)as well as hundreds of literary portraits for The New Republic, and had an active practice as a painter and printmaker. “David was an incomparable raconteur who loved bringing people together around art and conversation,” said his colleague Jeffrey Schiff, professor of art. “He was a dedicated teacher, who cared deeply about his students and the fullness of the educational enterprise, and did much to shape the studio arts at Wesleyan.” Schorr is survived by his niece, Sarah Schorr ’99; his nephew, Max ’03; and his sister-in-law.

Donald B. Meyer, professor of history emeritus, passed away May 27. He was 94. Meyer served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946 and received his BA from the University of Chicago in 1947. He earned his master’s and doctorate from Harvard University, where he taught for two years. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1967 from UCLA. Meyer was a social and intellectual historian who published three books and numerous articles over his career. “He was an expert in offering a vigorous challenge to prevailing views, especially about sectors of our society that figured much too little in our history,” says colleague Nat Greene. Meyer also served as one of the founding organizers of Wesleyan’s American Studies program. The Meyer Prize was established in 1991 to recognize deserving history majors for honors theses in American history. Meyer is survived by his wife, Jean Meyer; his sister; his children and their spouses and partners; and his five grandchildren. 

Peter M. Frenzel, Marcus L. Taft Professor of German Studies Emeritus, passed away on May 20, at the age of 82. Frenzel arrived at Wesleyan in 1966 after receiving his BA from Yale, MA from Middlebury, and PhD from the University of Michigan. He served on virtually every major committee and in administrative roles, including associate provost, dean of arts and humanities, and chair of German Studies. He was a carillonneur, overseeing Wesleyan’s carillon bells, and played the glockenspiel with the pep band during football games. In retirement, Frenzel served on the advisory board for the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty and was editor of the Center’s newsletter. Frenzel was one of the foremost experts on the German Minnesang tradition of lyric- and song-writing. “Peter loved music in its more modern expression, as well, often sitting down at his piano for an impromptu riff or chasing the perfect Wagner Ring around the globe, visiting what seems like every operatic venue from New York to Sydney,” says Herb Arnold, professor of German and letters emeritus. Frenzel is survived by his wife, Laurie Neville Frenzel; his daughter and her partner; two grandchildren; and his brother.