1933 - He studied with Julius Goldstein. He moved to Paris where he studied piano with Lazare Lévy, composition with Noël Gallon, orchestration with Felix Wolfes, and flute with Louis Moyse.
1937 - He moved to America and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
1939-1940 - Composition with Paul Hindemith at Yale University.
1953 - Foss was appointed professor of music at the University of California at Los Angeles, replacing Arnold Schoenberg.
1963 - He founded the Center for Creative and Performing Arts while at the University at Buffalo.
1991 - He has been Professor of Music, Theory, and Composition at Boston University.
- He is grouped in the "Boston school" along with Arthur Berger, Irving Fine, Alexei Haieff, Harold Shapero, and Claudio Spies.