By Bob Vaia
In the beginning of her academic career, Linda Moore was a student of philosophy and rhetoric. There may be no better way to start this tribute than with a philosophical question:
“How do you measure the quality of a life?”
On March 1, Linda Moore, former Dean of The University of Akron’s College of Fine & Applied Arts, passed away at the age of 71.
Pursue knowledge.
Moore began her studies in communication at Bradley University and completed her post-graduate studies at Kent State University. In 1966, Moore taught at Kent State before coming to The University of Akron in 1978. Moore served as deputy provost for the university, and in 1992 she was appointed as the dean of the College of Fine & Applied Arts.
After leaving Akron, Moore became the dean of the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts at Wayne State University in Detroit. She left Wayne State in 2003 to serve as vice president for academic affairs at Emerson College in Boston before retiring in 2013.
Care about people.
Gerry McElliott, formerly an administrative assistant at The University of Akron, worked for Moore for six years. McElliott, now retired, remembers Moore as a caring and compassionate person.
“She would go the extra mile for anybody,” McElliott said.
McElliott recounted one such instance in a recent phone interview. A student without a place to live needed a co-signer for an apartment. Moore co-signed the lease for the student. Being the educator she was, she turned that situation into a teachable moment, telling the student to use it as an opportunity to learn responsibility.
Make an impact.
During her tenure as Dean of the College of Fine & Applied Arts, Moore epitomized leadership. “She knew how to guide staff, faculty and administrators. She was a wonderful leader,” McElliott said. Her charm, graciousness and organizational abilities allowed her to get the most out of staff, students and those in the community.
“I remember one time in particular, where she had worked all day then attended a fundraiser at E.J. Thomas Hall dressed in a gown, looking absolutely stunning,” McElliott recalled, adding that her charm, wit and intellect drew prospective donors “like moths to a flame.”
Leave a place better than you found it.
Moore had an eye for talent. According to McElliott, “She could look at a résumé and decide at first glance if that person was right for the job.” Even when looking at a letter of recommendation, she could read between the lines. “Sometimes it was more about what the letter didn’t say.” When she found talent, she was tenacious in her pursuit of it.
The University of Akron, Wayne State University and Emerson College all benefitted from her ability to attract dedicated, hardworking educators.
By these criteria, one can find an answer to the question, “How do you measure the quality of a life,” but there is one more point of reference:
Lay a path for others to follow. Dr. Linda Moore did just that.