John Moore

Civic leader John Edward Moore, Sr. was born on January 11, 1923 in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents, Ausro and Gertha Jones Moore moved the family to Dayton, Ohio shortly after he was born. Moore attended Washington Elementary School, Steele High School and graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1941, just prior to World War II. Working briefly as a civilian at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Moore was drafted into the United States Army in 1943. Serving in the 2261st Quartermaster Trucking Company in Bangladesh, he earned the rank of corporal.

In 1946, Moore returned from World War II and was hired as a clerk at WPAFB. In 1955, he finished his B.S. degree from the University of Dayton in business administration and went on to pursue graduate studies at Ohio State University. Moore became the first Equal Employment Opportunity officer at WPAFB in 1960. In 1972, Moore became WPAFB’s first African American chief of Civilian Personnel, one of the largest government employers in the nation. Moore retired in 1979.

Over the years, Moore has served the Dayton community as a civic leader. He has served on more than fifty boards and committees. In 1972, Moore was appointed to the Dayton Foundation board by Mayor James H. McGee, has served as chair of the board, is a founding member of its African American Community Fund and is current chair of the Diversity Task Force. He was co-chair of Parity, Inc., is a member of the Black Leadership Development Program Steering Committee, a trustee of the Med America Health Systems Corporation, a member of the United Way Public Policy Committee, Job Center Governing Board, Montgomery County Out of School Task Force, Montgomery County Workforce Policy Board, Montgomery County Workforce Policy Board Youth Council, chair of the Montgomery County Mentoring Collaborative Advisory Committee, vice chair of Mound Street Academies, treasurer of Family and Children First Council and Executive Committee, and co-chair of Mary Scott Nursing Center Capital Campaign. Moore has received a myriad of awards including the 1994 Big Brothers and Big Sisters “304 Service Award”; 1995 Leadership Dayton Emeritus Award; 1997 Montgomery County Citizen of the Year Award; Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Dayton (1998); 2000 Chamber of Commerce President’s Club Award; Ohio Association of Community Colleges 2001 Maureen C. Grady Award; 2003 Dunbar State Memorial Award and the 2005 Fred Shuttlesworth Humanitarian Award.

In 2000, the $13 million John E. Moore, Sr. Technology Center was opened on the campus of Sinclair Community College. Moore, whose wife, Hester, passed away in 2004, has two grown children.

Moore passed away on January 7, 2021.