Ernest Moore

1919-1936

The Education building, fifth structure to be erected on the Westwood campus (in 1930), was renamed Moore Hall in 1955 to honor Dr. Ernest Carroll Moore, first head of UCLA, who was not only a scholar, teacher and philosopher in the field of education, but a great administrator as well.

Ernest Carroll Moore was named director of the Southern Branch when it was established in 1919; he had served for two years as President of the Los Angeles State Normal School prior to that time. He teamed with Regent Edward A. Dickson to bring about the creation of the new institution that was to become UCLA.

When success crowned their efforts, the Normal School went out of existence and its Vermont Avenue physical campus was turned over to the University of California as the first campus of the Southern Branch. The Branch (after 1927 known as UCLA) remained there until 1929, when the move to Westwood at last took place. Dr. Moore’s title was changed by The Regents from director to provost and ultimately to provost and vice president.

Ernest Carroll Moore, who was to serve as UCLA’s administrator for 17 years, received his A.B. in 1892 and the LL.B. in 1894 at Ohio Normal University. He later earned his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. He taught philosophy and education at Berkeley, and in 1906 he became superintendent of schools in Los Angeles.

Four years later Yale University offered him a professorship in education, and in 1913 he was lured to Harvard in the same capacity, teaching there until 1917. In that year, he accepted the presidency of the state Normal School in Los Angeles.

Dr. Moore retired as UCLA’s administrator in 1936. He taught at Westwood for five more years, then continued to keep in touch, living nearby. He died in 1955 at the age of 83. He gave his magnificent library, collected over many years, to UCLA. In tribute to him, Dr. Lawrence Clark Powell, at that time UCLA’s librarian, wrote, “He was a pillar of a man – one of the toughest-minded, most stubbornly-determined, most eloquent, and most persuasive individuals ever to grace this earth.”