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Name:	Richard R. Morsches (Nickname = Dick)
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	DECEASED 2012,
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Class of	1952	Attended from through
Graduated Here?	Yes
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Birthdate:	October 15, 1934
Date of Death:	September 23, 2012

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Notes:	The Met newsletter October 12, 2012: For nearly 40 years, Richard R. Morsches, who passed away on September 23, was responsible for the work of a veritable army of employees at the Metropolitan Museum. Indeed, for much of that time the majority of the staff reported to him. Dick used to say that he came to New York after his military service with the objective of working at either the Metropolitan Opera or the Metropolitan Museum, and as those who knew him were well aware, Dick achieved whatever he set out to do. Beginning in 1964 as Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Operating Administrator, over time Dick (or Mr. Morsches, as he was more commonly known) was promoted to Operating Administrator, then Vice President for Operations, and ultimately Senior Vice President for Operations in 1996. His responsibilities extended to Security, Facilities, Construction, Design, Visitor Services, Special Events, The Photograph Studio, Office Services, Telecommunications, Purchasing, Custodial Services, and all the restaurant and parking garage operations. For many years he also oversaw the department then known as Personnel. Dick had exceptionally high standards and strong views on what constituted good design and competent writing, not to mention appropriate dress and behavior. He could be an uncompromising taskmaster, but he engendered loyalty and affection among those who worked for him. One strove to meet Dick's expectations, knowing that it was in the service of the Museum and that he would settle for no less from himself Dick retired quietly in 2001. He had intended to leave much earlier, but the Museum was reluctant to let him go and he was more than once persuaded to stay. For someone with such an outsize role, he preferred to keep a low profile. "Less is more," he would say, seated at an immaculate desk with its iconic black lacquered "In" and "Out" trays and sleek oversize silver ashtray. His table in the (then) Trustees Dining Room was tucked in the farthest back corner; he had a view of all the activity but was barely visible himself. An enthusiastic, unrepentant smoker, he unobtrusively let his table become a refuge for congenial co-conspirators in an otherwise smoke-free environment. He rarely attended receptions, partly because he wasn't one for small talk, but mainly because he was out nearly every night of the week. A dinner of excellent food and wine, preceded by a Cutty Sark and followed by a performance, was to him the whole point of living in New York. Dick was devoted to and knowledgeable about ballet (especially American Ballet Theatre), opera (especially at the other Met), and theater (especially witty musicals). His other great love was travel, embracing above all Spain and Spanish culture. Naturally, he stayed in wonderful hotels where the service was impeccable; anything less would have been unacceptable. But Dick did make exceptions for notable occasions. Tall and slim, he would stand at attention in front of the Information Desk at each Party of the Year, dressed in a dinner jacket, ensuring that his troops were in order and had their instructions. He was Diana Vreeland's preferred escort for the event, and was also favored by the Museum's late, beloved Trustee and benefactor Brooke Astor at the staff holiday party, where he would introduce her to employees by name; he prided himself on remembering them all. Dick's devoted friends included many Trustees as well as staff from throughout the Museum. Some worked for him, others worked alongside him as peers, still others knew him best as an amusing, often irreverent, always generous companion. A celebration of his life and contribution to the Museum will take place in the Patron's Lounge later in the year. The Met is a different museum from the one Mr. Morsches walked into nearly 40 years ago, and also from the one he left more than a decade ago, but his influence remains. From the care expended on making sure the Museum always looks its best, to the music that suffuses the Great Hall Balcony on Friday and Saturday evenings, Dick left his mark. On the one hand, he admired nothing more than what he, hailing from a racehorse-breeding family, called down-to-earth "horse sense." But his aspirations for the Museum were high: to achieve excellence with beauty in all our endeavors.

Last Updated:	11-03-2012		Alumni ID:	12728

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