Thomas David Moore, Ph.D.,
76, Associate Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Management,
Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration at The
University of Alabama died at Hospice of West Alabama on Oct. 9, 2009 after a long and courageous battle with angiosarcoma.
Born
July 19, 1933 in D’Lo, Mississippi, T.D. (Tom) Moore was the youngest
child of Laura Emma Clark Moore and Jesse Crawley Moore.
He moved with his family to Gulfport in 1940 and graduated in 1951 from
Gulfport High School where he was a member of the G Club. He attended
the University of Mississippi on an athletic scholarship and was a
member of the track team, M Club, and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He
received a degree in business administration in 1955, then began his career as an industrial engineer for Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle, Wash.
He
returned to the University of Mississippi in 1959 where he received an
MBA degree. Following graduation in 1960, he worked as a corporate industrial engineer in Holly Springs, Miss., at Fryling Electric Company, a subsidiary of Erie Resistor Corporation.
He
enrolled as a member of the first class of the Ph.D. program in
Commerce and Business Administration at Ole Miss and received his
degree in 1964 after which he served as Chairman of the Department of
Business Management at Tennessee Technological Institute in Cookeville,
Tenn.
Dr. Moore began his career at The University of Alabama in September 1965 as associate professor in the economics department
of the College of Commerce and Business Administration. He served as
Executive Director of the Alabama Council of Economic Education and was
instrumental in promoting economic education for high school students.
During his tenure, he created and produced two series of educational
television programs for Alabama students. He continued his efforts to
promote economics and business education at the collegiate level as
co-founder of the Alabama chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon and
president of Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies.
Dr.
Moore served as Executive Director of External Affairs for the College
of Commerce and Business Administration and initiated the development
of a program designed to generate funding for the college from both
private and governmental entities while enhancing the political clout
for the college.
He was instrumental in forming the Board of Visitors and the Commerce
Executives Society, an alumni support group designed to recruit
outstanding students to the Capstone. Additionally, he was vital in the
founding of the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, serving as its Director
from 1973 – 1994.
Dr. Moore was promoted to associate dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and the Graduate School of Business in 1975. He directed the renovation of Bidgood Hall, helped establish the chair of real estate, edited the business school’s alumni magazine, and presided over the Board of Visitors as well as the Commerce Executive Society.
He was inducted into the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of
Commerce and Business Administration and Manderson Graduate School of
Business Faculty Hall of Fame in May 2009.
He was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Tuscaloosa and, for a number of years, was on the administrative board.
His community involvement included serving as past president of the
Exchange Club of Tuscaloosa, two tenures as president of the Tuscaloosa
Quarterback Club, former Board of Directors member of the Chamber of
Commerce of West Alabama and Indian Hills Country Club.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Billie Ruth Armstrong Moore ;
daughter, Ellen Moore Johnson, son-in-law, Raiford C. (Rick) Johnson,
and granddaughter, Rebekah Kathleen Johnson all of Tuscaloosa. He is
also survived by his sister, Elizabeth M. Boudro of DeRitter, La., brother, Harvey J. Moore (Alice) of Kansas City, Mo., and sister-in-law Dolores Moore of Ferndale, Miss.