A tradition of giving Wayne Moore ’ was years old when his older brother, Fletcher, taught him to play the piano. Wayne knew immediately that his teacher was no pushover. “Fletcher was very thorough and demanding as a teacher,” Wayne recalls. “He gave you hard music to work on and wanted you to do as well as you could.” To honor his brother, a gifted pianist and organist, Elon alumnus and longtime member of the college’s music faculty, Wayne has designated a bequest from his estate to establish the Fletcher Moore Distinguished Emerging Scholar Professorship. Funds from the endowment will provide compensation to a faculty scholar in the arts, humanities or social sciences and support his or her teaching and research. Wayne taught music for nearly four decades, including 31 years as a professor at Auburn University, and knows the importance of endowed professorships. “I hope the endowment will help attract some promising professors to Elon and that they will remain at the university,” he says. Wayne and Fletcher Moore ’34 shared a love of classical music, the organ and teaching. After earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in music from Columbia University, Wayne taught piano and organ part time at Elon from 1952 to 1954 before traveling to Vienna, Austria, for a year to study piano and music history. He joined the Auburn faculty in 1964 following teaching stints in Mississippi and Colorado. Fletcher Moore served in many capacities at Elon from 1936 to 1980, including as dean of the college and chair of the department of fine arts. He was perhaps best known as an educator who taught hundreds of students and community members to play the piano and organ. Fletcher played the organ during campus chapel services in Whitley Auditorium and at Elon Community Church, and he was a respected leader in the Alamance County arts community. He died in 1994. Wayne returned to his hometown of Burlington, N.C., in 2004, following the death of his wife, Elizabeth, who taught voice classes at Elon in the 1950s. He attends piano recitals on campus and is a generous supporter of music scholarships and Belk Library. He hopes his gift will inspire others to support the Ever Elon Campaign. “I think a lot of times, people think that Elon will get along without their support,” he says. “Every institution needs a tradition of giving among alumni and friends.”
making a difference
To learn more about how you can support the Ever Elon Campaign and make a difference at Elon with a bequest or other planned gift, contact: Jamie Killorin cpa/pfs, cfp®, Director of Gift Planning Toll free 877.784.3566 jkillorin2@elon.edu www.elon.edu/giftplanning
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THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Wayne Moore ’49