Title: Stanley Allen Moe Papers, 1912-2004

ID: OGLMC1698

Primary Creator: Moe, Stanley A. (1914-2010)

Extent: 2.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 04/00/2021. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Architecture and Historic Preservation, University of North Dakota - Alumni

Languages: English

Stanley Allen Moe was a pioneer in the field of architecture and left behind a rich legacy.

Stanley was born in Fargo, North Dakota on May 28, 1914 to parents Ole Arnold Moe and Frieda Emily. Stanley’s brother, Donald Owen Moe, was born two years after Stanley on June 8, 1916. The Moe family lived in the tiny town of Ruso, North Dakota on the modest family farm. When Stanley was seven years old the Moe family moved to Minot, North Dakota for two years, after which they moved to Ross, North Dakota, where Stanley’s father established a bank.

Stanley attended Ross High School and was one of ten students who graduated on May 29, 1930. Stanley graduated on the Honor Roll. Prior to attending university, Stanley met Doris Lucille Anderson. Stanley attended the University of North Dakota from 1930 to 1932 as a School of Engineering student. During Stanley’s time at UND he pledged as one of the youngest members of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity (at the age of 16). Stanley also made countless trips to visit Doris throughout his time at UND. Stanley also enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) while at UND on June 7, 1932, with his official title being a Major in the Infantry. Doris graduated high school in 1932, and enrolled in Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which she attended for two years.

Stanley eventually transferred to the University of Minnesota and majored in architecture, Doris was not far behind and transferred Stanley’s new university. Stanley graduated in 1936 with a Bachelor of Architecture, while Doris graduated in 1937 with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture. On July 25, 1937 Stanley married Doris Anderson, now Doris Moe, in her home town of Stanley, North Dakota. Stanley and Doris had two daughters, Willa (Billie) Moe Crouse, and Myra Moe Parsons. The depression was in full effect in the 1930s, but Stanley was fortunate enough to find paid work at an architect’s office soon after graduation at a time when working unpaid as a new architect was common.

Stanley went on to become a licensed architect in eleven states and expanded his profession on an international scale with more than two dozen foreign operations. He worked on many important projects, which resulted in an impressive resume. Stanley worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers during his time in Africa, and was named the director of design for multiple military projects throughout places like Eritrea, Egypt, and Yemen. He also worked as a project manager for the, “Minister of Defense and Aviation in Saudi Arabia” for the design of a medical facility program from 1975 to 1976. Stanley is also known as one of the partners and founder-sharers of an architectural, planning, and engineering firm known as the DMJM (Daniel, Mann, Johnson, Mendenhall), which was one of the largest of its kind. Stanley was also the project director for the design of the aircraft maintenance complex for the Iranian Aircraft Industries in 1978. He was the project manager for the design of the Boufarik International Airport in Algeria in 1983. Stanley even left his mark with important work on the US Space Program. He had a major role in the designs of space vehicles and systems, including the Atlas, Jupiter, Thor, and Titan 1 systems, the lunar excursion module, and the space shuttle. He was also the project director of the Space Shuttle assembly facility in 1973, located in the Kennedy Space Center.

Stanley was given numerous awards and recognitions throughout his lifetime for his work. He was named “Van Nuys Man of the Year” in 1950, he was given the Sioux Award from the University of North Dakota Alumni Association in 1985. He also received an honorary Ph.D. (Doctor of Engineering) from the University of North Dakota the following year. Stanley was even inducted into the North Dakota Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 2000.

Stanley and Doris were also recognized as generous and dedicated patrons of education. They supported the University of North Dakota, the University of Minnesota, and Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota for many years. In his personal life, Stanley was a member of the Republican party and was the President of the San Fernando Valley Young Republican in 1952. He was also an active member of the Presbyterian church, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Rotary International (a humanitarian organization), and the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, of which he became a full member of the Delta XI chapter in 1985.

Stanley’s passions extended beyond architecture, he also enjoyed fishing, hunting, photography, and woodworking. His beloved wife, Doris, passed away on October 18, 2000, due to complications from multiple strokes. On November 11, 2001, Stanley remarried Reiko Izuno, whom he met through a friend of the family several months after Doris’ passing. After nine years spent with Reiko, Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and passed away on October 13, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. Stanley is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Information courtesy of “Right Place, Right Time!,” written by Billie Moe Crouse, the Los Angeles Times Obituary, and “Find A Grave.”

Architecture and Historic Preservation
University of North Dakota - Alumni

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Billie Moe Crouse donated additional material in June 2021 (2021-3446) and August 2022 (2022-3469).

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: Billie Moe Crouse, Sandia Park, New Mexico

Acquisition Method: Donation; 2021-3435

Related Materials: Ole Arnold Moe Papers: OGLMC 1658

Related Publications: Right Place, Right Time!: the Inspiring Adventures of Stanley A. Moe, Trailblazer, World Traveler, Architect, Storyteller. Writings of Stanley A. Moe. Produced by Billie Moe Crouse. 2020.

Preferred Citation: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections. Chester Fritz Library. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Processing Information: Processed by Julie Faust, Special Collections Student Assistant, in April 2022.