Educator, principal, school administrator, university president
Richard Vernon Moore Sr. (November 20, 1906 – January 2, 1994) was an American educator, principal, and university president. He served as the third president of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida (1947–1975). Moore was also the state of Florida's first African-American Supervisor of Secondary Schools for Negros.
Moore was appointed president of Bethune-Cookman in 1947. On June 30, 1975, Moore retired as president of the college, during his 28-year tenure, the college grew from 400 to 1,200 students (whilst maintaining an 18:1 faculty student ratio), tripled the number of buildings to 25 (with the construction of the Heyn Chapel (1961), Helen Kottle Memorial Classroom building (1964), Lefevre Residence Hall (1966), Charles Parlin Student Center (1966), Swisher Library (1970), and Ja-Flo Davis Residence Hall (1972), increased its endowment by $800,000, was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1970, and joined the United Negro College Fund.
Moore married Beauford Jones in 1934 and they had nine children, five boys and four girls.[1]
Death and legacy
He died on January 2, 1994, and is buried on the Bethune-Cookman campus.[6] There has been a Richard V. Moore Legacy Society at the college.
Bethune-Cookman's 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena, Moore Gymnasium, is named after him.[6] In 2000 he was honored with the designation as a Great Floridian,[7][8] and his memorial plaque is located in the front of the Richard V. Moore Community Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.[8]