Robert Russa Moton was an influential educator and civil rights leader who served as an administrator at Hampton Institute. In 1915 he was named principal of Tuskegee Institute, after the death of founder Booker T. Washington, a position he held for 20 years until retirement in 1935. He also authored several books including an autobiography and held various administrative positions with the U.S. government. During World War I, Moton traveled to Europe on behalf of President Woodrow Wilson. His duty was to investigate the condition of the African-American soldiers.
