Family and early years Claus Adolf Moser was born in Berlin in 1922. His father was Dr Ernst (Ernest) Moser (1885–1957), owner of the private bank Ernst Moser & Co. in Berlin (est. 1902,
liquidated in 1938). His mother was Lotte (née Goldberg, 1897–1976), a talented amateur musician. The spouses also had an elder son, Claus's brother Heinz Peter August. Their house was a centre of attraction, visited by many intellectuals and musicians of the time. Claus Moser learned to play the piano from the age of seven and became an accomplished musician. In 1936, in order to escape Nazi persecution, the family fled to England. Moser went to
Frensham Heights School and the
London School of Economics (LSE). At this point, he dreamed about becoming a professional musician. However, his music teacher advised him against it, saying that ‘music is much more enjoyable if one's financial situation does not depend on it’. He was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the
1965 New Year Honours. However, in the same year he was refused an appointment in the central statistical office.
Civil service In 1967
Harold Wilson appointed Moser Director of the Central Statistical Office. In 1968, he headed the Government Statistical Service. These were two distinct roles, informally, Moser was considered to be the general statistical advisor to the government. He managed to reform the role of the statisticians and made them more involved in policy making. As a part of Moser reforms introduced to the GSS, in 1967 a Government Social Survey Department was established, followed by the launch of the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys in 1970 which started the General Household Survey. One of his innovations was the introduction of Social Trends, a publication launched in 1970 and edited by Muriel Nissel that provided an annual picture of the state of society. The data relied mostly on the materials held by the OPCS. According to The Telegraph, Wilson blamed Moser for the rest of his life.
Late years In 1984 Moser returned to academic life to work as warden of Wadham College, Oxford. He retired at the age of 70. On retirement, he became Chairman of the
British Museum Development Trust. In 1997, he was appointed Chairman of the newly established Basic Skill Agency. Under Moser, in a two-years survey the working group discovered and reported the drastic state of public education in England: it turned out that 7 mln adults did not have the level of reading and writing ability expected of an 11 year old, with the total for adults with numeracy problems running at approximately 40%. Moser's report offered a well articulated 10-step strategy to improve literacy and numeracy on a national level. In this report, Moser delivered a memorable phrase that is still widely quoted today: "Education costs a lot of money; but ignorance costs a lot more". Through the years, Moser sat on around 40 boards, commissions, committees, trusts and governing bodies. These included: • Member, Governing Body,
Royal Academy of Music, 1967–1979; • Director,
Central Statistical Office, 1968–1978; •
BBC Music Advisory Committee, 1971–1983; • Visiting Fellow,
Nuffield College, Oxford, 1972–1980; • Chairman,
Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden, 1974–1987; • Chancellor,
Keele University, 1986–2002; • Trustee,
London Philharmonic Orchestra, 1988–2000; • President,
British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989–1990; •
Pro-Vice-Chancellor,
University of Oxford, 1991–1993; • Chairman,
British Museum Development Trust, 1993–2003, later Chairman Emeritus; • Chancellor,
Open University of Israel, 1994–2004. While on holiday with his family, Moser died in
Chur,
Switzerland, on 4 September 2015, following a
stroke. == Honours and awards ==