Reverend Jerry A. Moore, Jr.

Religious leader Jerry Alexander Moore, Jr. was born on June 12, 1918, in Minden, Louisiana, to Mae Dee Moore and Jerry Alexander Moore, Sr. Moore graduated from high school at Webster Parrish Training School in 1936 before receiving his B.A. degree from Morehouse College in 1940. Moore then received his B.D. degree from Howard University in 1943, the same year the NAACP sponsored student sit-ins on Howard University’s campus.

In 1946, Moore became the pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. In 1957, Moore earned his M.A. degree from Howard University, and one year later became the University’s Baptist chaplain. In 1969, Moore temporarily left the ministry to become a city council member in Washington, D.C., where he served until 1984. During Moore’s term, he served as “Member-At-Large” for the council seat alongside District of Columbia Commissioner Walter E. Washington, Vice Chairman Sterling Tucker and Chairman Gilbert Hahn, Jr.

Moore co-founded the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) in 1971. This organization was created to provide a forum for senior level minority professionals in the transportation industry. After Moore left the Washington, D.C. City Council in 1984, he became the chaplain for the D.C. Detention Facility, an inmate detention center that offers programs in HIV/AIDS prevention, education and intervention services, individual and group counseling services, religious services, among other life skills development and religious skills.

In 1985, Moore became the executive secretary for the Home Mission Board at the National Baptist Convention (NBC) until 1997. During his time at NBC, he was nominated to be the United States Ambassador to Lesotho, a position previously held by Robert M. Smalley. In 1994, Moore ended his fifty year tenure as pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church.

Moore received numerous civic awards throughout his career including the Minority Transportation Officials’ Award, the Washington Area Contractors Award, the Capital City Rep Club Lincoln Award, and the NAACP service award.

Moore passed away on December 19, 2017 at age 99.