Ralph Westwood Moore (1906 – 10 January 1953) was an English classicist and writer who became the headmaster of

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

in 1942.

Life

Ralph Moore was born in

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

in the late summer of 1906, the elder son of George Moore. George Moore is described as an artist and designer of wrought iron gates and fences. His mother, born Emily Skidmore, also came from an English middle-class family. He attended

Wolverhampton Grammar School Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Wolverhampton, England. History Initially a grammar school for boys, WGS was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who ...

and then, as a scholar,

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

where he achieved academic distinction. After this he became a teacher, employed as an assistant master at a succession of "public schools" in England. Still aged only 32, he accepted the headmastership of

Bristol Grammar School Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a 4–18 mixed, independent day school in Bristol, England. It was founded in 1532 by Royal Charter for the teaching of 'good manners and literature', endowed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorn ...

in 1938. Four years later, in 1942, he became headmaster of

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

on the northwestern fringes of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Personal

Ralph Moore married Elsie Barbara Tonks (1901–1969) at Wolverhampton in the early summer of 1931. The marriage resulted in the births of two recorded sons in 1933 and 1935. Early in 1952, keen to set a good example to the children in his care, he submitted himself to a chest x-ray. Chest x-rays for adolescents were encouraged at that time in order to provide for early diagnosis of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. A newspaper reported that all the pupils were "free from chest troubles". Dr. Moore was not, however. He underwent several operations during 1952 but "refused to leave his post". He died at Harrow from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

on 10 January 1953.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Ralph People from Wolverhampton People educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Schoolteachers from the West Midlands Head Masters of Harrow School 1906 births 1953 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in England