Moss, William Dygnum, 1866-1932

William Dygnum Moss (1866-1932) was born in Ontario, Canada. His career as a clergyman in the Presbyterian Church included posts in his native country and at two churches in the United States. He served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Chapel Hill, N.C., for more than 20 years, during which time he also ministered to students at the University of North Carolina.

From the description of William Dygnum Moss papers, 1899-1970 (bulk 1899-1932). WorldCat record id: 41209195

The Reverend William Dygnum Moss (1866-1932), known to many as Parson Moss, was the son of William and Anne Coulter Moss. He was a native of Canada, but acquired his naturalization papers shortly after arriving in the United States.

Prior to coming to the United States, Moss lived in various parts of Canada, where he attended school and held pastorates. The November 1921 issue of The Carolina Magazine reports that his family settled in the central province of Manitoba during his childhood. According to this source, Moss was greatly influenced by the scenic views of the region and decided early in life to pursue a career in the ministry.

Moss was a graduate of McGill University in Montreal. In keeping with his leanings towards the clergy, he also earned a degree from the Presbyterian College of Montreal. Later, he served as pastor to congregations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, respectively.

Health concerns led Moss on his southward journey from Nova Scotia to the United States. He arrived in North Carolina in 1903 and accepted a pastorate at the Presbyterian Church of Chapel Hill. Moss held this post for more than 20 years, though not consecutively. After only a few years, he accepted a call from the Washington Heights Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. He remained there for six years.

By the time Moss left for Washington, he had garnered tremendous respect and admiration within Chapel Hill's Presbyterian Church community. He was so highly regarded that members of the congregation responded to his departure by refusing to accept a substitute pastor in his stead. Moss returned to North Carolina in 1912 and resumed his role with the former flock. He continued his services there for the next two decades and spent the remainder of his life in Chapel Hill.

Through his leadership and work as a clergyman, Moss formed many close ties with the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He enjoyed long-lasting personal friendships with the institution's presidents, faculty members, and thousands of students. He earned a reputation for seeking out and visiting with students in their dormitories and fraternity houses. The collection includes letters from a number of parents who pledged or gave financial support to his ministry in exchange for the kindness extended to their sons attending the University.

Moss was a popular speaker at annual commencement exercises. He devoted many years of service as chair of the campus Y.M.C.A. and gained recognition as the unofficial University chaplain. From 1914 to 1915, he pursued graduate studies at UNC. In 1918, UNC conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity.

During his career, he authored a number of articles and published several sermons, including A Christmas Message and A Tragedy of Speed: Sermon on the Wreck of the Titanic.

After Moss returned to Chapel Hill from Washington, D.C., in 1912, the parsonage served as a home to the family of Joseph Kennette, formerly of Washington, N.C. Members of the Kennette family kept house for Moss. Joseph Kennette eventually purchased a home for his family on Chapel Hill's East Franklin Street. Years later, the parson took up residency in the Kennettes' home, where he died of a heart attack on 7 October 1932.

Moss's papers include numerous love letters from a Washington, D.C., woman named Marnie, who referred to herself as his wife. There is no evidence, however, that they were married. At the time of Moss's death, a local newspaper stated that he was survived only by two sisters: Eliza Moss of Portage, La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, and Mrs. John W. Ross of Pictou, Nova Scotia.

From the guide to the William Dygnum Moss Papers, 1899-1970 (bulk 1899-1932), (Southern Historical Collection)