Walter Parker Moore, Sr
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Great achievements notable structural engineers Walter Parker Moore, Sr. The Founding Father By Richard G. Weingardt, P.E. mong the many noteworthy After receiving his Bachelor of Science American family-owned busi- degree, conferred with distinction from Rice nesses born during the dark days Institute (now Rice University) in central of the Great Depression that are Houston, Walter P. joined a local consulting Astill in operation and thriving today is a engineering firm headed by H.M. Sanford, Texas-based engineering design firm known as whose operations were not far from the Rice Walter P Moore (WPM). It is now a corpora- campus. Among Sanford’s significant Texas ® tion with diverse ownership and far-reaching projects was the Brooks Federal Building in projects. Its founder, after whom the firm Beaumont. Named in honor of long-time received its name, was a true son of Texas – a U.S. Representative Jack Brooks – who today dedicated Houstonian his entire life. Said is much admired by the U.S. architecture his oldest son, Walter, Jr., “My father didn’t and engineering community for instigat- especially like to travel, but when he did, he ing the BrooksCopyright Act legislation that required could hardly wait to return. He never failed to designers of federal projects to be selected Walter P. Moore, Sr. Courtesy of Walter P Moore. compare his hometown to where he had just by qualifications, rather than low bid – the been and was always delighted and reassured monumental structure has been a prominent At first, and for several years after, things were that Houston was the best place in America Texas landmark since its opening in 1933. a struggle. Many of Moore’s earliest projects to live, and have an engineering company.” It was listed on the National Register of involved designing foundations for large homes Born in Hillsboro, Texas, on December Historic Places in 1977. in the new River Oaks neighborhood for $5 10, 1903, Walter Parker, Sr. was the middle Suddenly, in 1931, Sanford pulled up stakes apiece, $7.50 if they were particularly com- child of Walter (without a middle name or and moved to California, leaving a surprised plicated. Semi-skilled construction or factory initial) and Mary (Hill) Moore. His older Moore unemployed. The country was by then workers at the time, if they could find work, sister Minnie and younger brother Thomas totally in the grips of the Great Depression, were making $10 to $15 a week. Residents of Robert were also born in Texas. Their father andmagazine prospects looked bleak indeed. The young River Oaks, situated in the center of Houston, was from Illinois while theirS mother T was a Rbachelor Uengineer wasC still livingT at homeU were R among thoseE with better paying jobs, native of Texas. In the 1920 U.S. Census, with his 62-year-old mother and 24-year-old and the upper-class development would in Walter’s age was listed as 50 and his occupa- brother, and since his father had passed away time become one of the most exclusive and tion was listed as farmer. by then, he was the family’s only money-earner wealthiest communities in the country. Walter P. was the first in the family to gradu- at the time. With no other real opportunities A year after he opened his office, on February ate as a civil engineer from college, which available, he decided to take the plunge and 20, 1932, 29-year-old Moore married Zoe he did two years before the horrendous open his own structural engineering practice. Alma McBride. She had attended Rice at the Stock Market Crash of 1929. He was 25 at He sold his fancy car, a Stutz Bearcat, for same time as he in the late 1920s. Walter and graduation, and clearly more mature than capital and boldly launched Walter P. Moore Zoe would have two sons, Walter Parker, Jr. his classmates. and Associates (WPMA). and Robert Laurence. Following in his father’s footsteps, Walter Jr. would become a structural engineer and join his father’s firm, while Robert (Larry) would become a professor of history at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Among Moore’s clients were several talented young architects who, like he, were weather- ing the challenges of the Depression as best they could. Many of them eventually estab- lished some of Houston’s most important architectural practices and prospered. Few of them forgot the structural engineer who had worked with them and helped them survive those difficult early years. Included in the core group that Moore counted as his lifelong and close personal friends were S.I. Morris (founder of Morris Architects), George Pierce (founder of Pierce and Pierce, now PGAL), Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons-Jyardley. Herman Lloyd (co-founder of Lloyd Jones STRUCTURE magazine40 September 2011 STRUCTURE magazine Other significant Texas facilities completed by WPMA during Moore’s active involvement with the firm included: • The oustonH Hyatt Regency Hotel • 1100 Milam Office Tower • Jesse Jones Hall for the Performing Arts • Houston Center Complex • Miller Outdoor Theater • The 52-story Gulf Tower • The rownB & Root Building • Parkland Plaza Condominiums Among Moore’s many health-care facilities were 50 major buildings for the Texas Medical Center (including MD Anderson Cancer Center), Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor Reliant Astrodome,® Houston, Texas. Courtesy of College of Medicine, Ben Taub Hospital, Library of Congress, HAER TX-108-11. Houston’s Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the original Methodist Hospital. and nationally. He served as president of the Moore was sole owner and head of his firm for Houston Knife and Fork Club, and as a trustee three and a half decades, from 1931 until 1967, for the Harris County Heritage Society. when it was incorporated. At the time, Moore Moore was named Engineer of the Year in employed moreCopyright than 100 people in offices in 1974 by the Texas Society of Professional Hyatt Regency Hotel, Houston, Texas. Courtesy of Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. He served Engineers, San Jacinto Chapter, and was pre- Wikimedia Commons-WhisperToMe. as president of the corporation from 1967 until sented with an honorary membership in the 1971, and as chairman of the board until 1982. Texas Society of Architects in 1979. In 1980, Brewer), and Irving Klein (founder of Klein He was then chairman emeritus until his death. he was honored by the Houston Chapter of the Partnership, now FKP Architects). About Walter, Sr.’s legacy, Ray Messer, current American Institute of Architects and, in 1982, By the conclusion of World War II in 1945, president of Walter P Moore, said, “Mr. Moore he received the Fourth Firm Honor Award the shackles of the Depression were being built the firm’s reputation through good ser- from the Texas/Oklahoma/Arkansas region quickly shed and America was building again. vice and dependability. Given his hardscrabble of the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute. With this economic revitalization came more roots, he took on all the work he could obtain From Rice, Moore was awarded an and more construction, and Moore and his and dominated the Houston market from the Outstanding Engineering Alumnus Award in architectural clients were favorably affected. late magazine1940s well into the 1970s.” After that, his 1974 and, shortly before his passing in 1983, In 1950, Moore landed a plumbS project T that Rson Walter, U Jr. took overC the leadershipT ofU his its DistinguishedR E Alumnus recognition.▪ would mark the turning point for his firm: father’s company, and when Walter, Sr. died Rice Stadium. The massive concrete structure, on July 30, 1983, at age 80, WPMA had active Richard G. Weingardt, P.E. located between some of Houston’s most beau- projects in 20 states. (The firm’s considerable ([email protected]), is the tiful tree-lined boulevards, is still regarded as growth outside of Texas will be reviewed in a Chairman of Richard Weingardt Consultants, one of the most elegant and functional sports future “Great Achievements” article.) Inc. in Denver, Colorado. He is the author facilities in the country. It was an important Moore held Texas registration number 116, of ten books, including three that feature achievement because of its scale and impor- which he received in 1938, the first year that the exploits of great American structural tance to the city and to the university. Texas officially began licensing engineers. He engineers: Engineering Legends, Circles in the The second major commission for Moore’s was also a registered professional engineer (PE) Sky, and (coming soon) Empire Man. firm was another innovative sports facility, in nine other states. the Harris County Domed Stadium, now Moore became an ASCE Fellow in 1959 known nationally and internationally as the and a Life Member in 1963. He was ADVERTISEMENT - For Advertiser ADVERTISEMENT Information, visit Astrodome. It opened on April 9, 1965. It a long-time member of the American was the world’s first covered, air-conditioned, Concrete Institute, National and Texas domed stadium, paving the way for a new Societies of Professional Engineers, generation of modern, multi-purpose sports Consulting Engineers Council of Texas, The easiest to use software for calculating venues and instantly creating an icon associ- American Consulting Engineers Council wind, seismic, snow and other loadings for ated worldwide with Houston to this day. (now American Council of Engineering IBC, ASCE7, and all state codes based on By the late 1970s, Moore and his firm Companies), Houston Engineering and these codes ($195.00). had been responsible for more than 15,000 Scientific Society, American Association Tilt-up Concrete Wall Panels ($95.00). projects throughout Texas, including sev- of Port Authorities, and executive board www.STRUCTUREmag.org eral at his alma mater; among them, Rice of the Rice Alumni Association.