The Great University Feud: A Lawmaker’s Stand
Gordon C. Moores breaks with local sentiment to support a contentious bill restricting academic duplication between Washington State College and the University of Washington.
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Gordon C. Moores, the representative for Kennewick, addressed the intense backlash from his constituents regarding House Bill No. 15. The bill, which aimed to curb costly academic duplication, sought to remove courses like Architecture and Forestry from the State College in Pullman, arguing they were better suited for the industrial, urban environment of Seattle. Moores argued that the state could not afford to run two fully-equipped, competing universities and that the duplication resulted in 'half-baked' practitioners. Despite receiving fifty letters and direct opposition from the Kennewick Commercial Club, Moores insisted he would vote for the bill, emphasizing fiscal responsibility and accusing the State College of playing politics while failing to provide necessary agricultural testing for the Yakima Valley.
“To my mind there is no reason why the tax payers should be forced to pay for this duplication, when in these courses the State College could graduate nothing but a few half-baked, impractical practicioners.”
This 1917 fight over 'academic duplication' reflects a century-old tension between Washington’s two flagship universities. The debate over whether regional institutions should specialize or compete for the same state resources remains a central, unresolved friction point in Washington higher education policy today.
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