A 1929 Profile

I wonder how many '29ers remember their classmate, Gordon Moore? As a Dartmouth guy who preceded him in college by 20 years, his name meant nothing to me until one morning when I was heading on the Erie for the big city of Cleveland from my hideaway in Aurora. I happened to sit down next to a little lady in a beaver coat. She was reading a book. Curious, I looked to see what it was. At the top of one page was "Dartmouth College," and "Class of 1929" at the top of the opposite page.

Dartmouth men never fail to grab an opportunity to talk about the College. I told my seat companion that I had noted the book she was looking at and that I was one of the Eleazar boys of 50 years' standing. She then explained that her first husband was Gordon Moore '29, who died at the youthful age of 28. She was remarried to John Thomas (No, his middle name was not Charles), and she was living in New York City. Gordon came from this part of Ohio (Kinsman) and on her way to visit her parents in Bryan, Ohio, she made a side trip to spend a day with Gordon's mother. Mrs. Moore had given her 1929's 25-year book which had been sent to her.

Gordon must have been quite a guy. He was ready for college at the age of 14, but because of his youth took an extra prep year at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. At Dartmouth, where he remained for two years, he became a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. On leaving Hanover he took a secretarial course at Spencerian Business College. At 18 he became a secretary to one of the officials of a chemical company in Cleveland, followed by a similar position for one of the big shots in the Ford Motor Company.

After marriage, Gordon moved to Youngstown where he became a customer's man for a brokerage firm. In this field he was highly successful.

"Gordon never sold anything that he, himself, didn't believe in," his wife said. "He reasoned that stock exchange houses all had about the same securities to sell, and what attracted customers was their confidence in the integrity and judgment of the man who served them."

Mrs. Thomas continued: "Gordon had the kind of personality that drew people to him. He became interested in a number of outside activities. One of his favorite pastimes was contract bridge. In the Youngstown area he organized a bridge group whose membership ultimately expanded to 300 players, even including people from Western Pennsylvania. My life with Gordon was always exciting and enjoyable, nothing humdrum. I was fortunate in finding a second husband who is much like Gordon. By coincidence, their birthdays fall on the same date."

Gordon had a premonition that he would die young. Not long before his number came up, he told his mother he expected she would outlive him by many years. "But," he remarked, "I have had such a full life, I have crowded into it much more living than those who will live twice or more my age."

What a philosophy for a man so young! He took life in full step and was happy to welcome anything that came his way - even death.