Richard A. Moore

Professor Richard (Dick) A. Moore passed away peacefully October 20, 2018. He was born in Ohio in 1924. His father, Dr. Robert A. Moore, who was a pathologist, and his mother Ruth Miller Moore, moved many times throughout his childhood, resulting in Dick growing up in many towns including Cleveland, New York City, and St. Louis. In the larger cities father and son enjoyed as many professional baseball games as possible. Richard graduated from Clayton High, St. Louis in 1942. After one semester at Yale, he then served in the 87th Infantry in World War II from February 1943 to December 1945. Returning to St. Louis, he attended Washington University for his AB in 1948, AM in 1950, and Ph.D in 1953. He married Ruth Neuhoff Moore in 1949. 

Richard Moore served as an instructor at the University of Nebraska and Yale before arriving at Carnegie Mellon, then Carnegie Institute of Technology, in September 1956 as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics. He served the department until he retired as a Professor in January 1986. From September 1965 to December 1971, and from June 1975 to July 1985, he was the Associate Head of the Department of Mathematics. From December 1971 to June 1975 he was Chairman of the Department.

As CMU has noted, his role in the Department during this entire period was one of educational leader. He planned most of the undergraduate curriculum developments and was also involved in curriculum planning campus wide. Richard, along with the late Professor Hugh Young of the Physics Department, worked to unite disciplines to stimulate the understandings of the undergraduates. 

In 1970, he received the Ryan Teaching Award. His letter of nomination characterized him as a “student’s professor” to show his commitment to his students. Students and faculty alike will remember his always open door.

As an administrator he handled the often thankless jobs necessary to keep the Department running. He had responsibility for scheduling classes, assigning instructors, advising students, supervising teaching assistants, and coordinating with departments across the University

At the graduate level, he played a key role in the development of the Doctor of Arts in Mathematics, a program designed to prepare teachers for the collegiate level.

He initiated a summer program, Programming and Problem Solving, for gifted elementary students and organized scholarship competitions. He also directed the AP/EA program from 1972 until his retirement.

He shared his expertise in mathematics education well beyond Carnegie Mellon University serving as consultant to school districts and area colleges. He was the main representative of CMU to Mathematical Association of America, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Mathematics Council of Western Pennsylvania. He was Vice President of the Churchill Area School Board, and served on the school board for Eastern Area Special Schools. He wrote many research papers and authored a textbook on differential equations. Richard endowed a merit based Scholarship for Math majors at CMU.

Leading up to his retirement his teaching schedule usually ended at 11:20 so he could be on the golf course at Longue Vue Club by noon. Since his retirement in 1986 through to recent years he has enjoyed golfing every day it wasn’t raining (or snowing). He has recently been enjoying crosswords, Sudoku, and great grand children.

Richard is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ruth Neuhoff Moore; his brother Professor Calvin Moore and wife Doris from Layette CA; his three children, Peter A. Moore and wife Anita Monga from Berkley CA, Susan Moore McJunkin and Sarah M Moore from Pittsburgh; his four granddaughters, Jessica Moore Rampling Ongala from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Genevieve E Rhodes and husband Lt Col Jeffrey Rhodes from Lacey WA, Leslie R Hoover and husband Zachary Hoover from Orlando FL, and Emily M Randen and husband Jared Randen from Kingsland GA.; and his six great grandchildren, Lillian and Nathalie Randen, Hudson and Jack Rhodes, and Charlie and Hadley Hoover.

Friends will be received on Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 1:00 to 4:00pm at Wolfe Memorial, LLC, 3604 Greensburg Pike, Forest Hills, 15221. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts may be made to the “Carnegie Mellon University Richard A. Moore Scholarship” c/o CMU Gift Administration, PO Box 371525, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-7525.

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