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North Carolina's Governors
In 1948 Governor Gregg Cherry appointed Moore to the Superior Court. He served on that bench until 1958, when he moved to Canton and became an executive with Champion Papers. Moore retained his interest in politics and in 1964 entered the contest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. After the first primary the leader was Richardson Preyer, who had the support of Governor Terry Sanford. Third-place finisher Beverly Lake threw his support to Moore in the runoff where Moore bested Preyer. In the fall Moore defeated Republican Robert Gavin. As governor Moore employed a deliberate approach to issues and often appointed study commissions to assist in decision-making. In the closing days of the 1963 session the General Assembly enacted a law barring Communists from speaking on state campuses. Moore's nine-member commission recommended that trustees at each institution set policy with respect to speakers. In 1968 a federal court declared the original law unconstitutional. In his inaugural address Moore outlined his objective to develop all of the state's resources without emphasis or detriment to one. His agenda included a $300 million road bonds package approved by voters in 1965, increased teacher and state employee salaries, reapportionment of legislative and congressional districts, institution in 1967 of "brown-bagging" as opposed to liquor by the drink, and an emphasis on highway safety. In 1969 Governor Robert W. Scott named former Governor Moore an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. He was elected to a full term in 1970 and served until 1978. Moore died in September 1986 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh.
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With experience on the bench, Dan K. Moore (1906-1986) brought to the Governor's Office a judicial temperament and moderately conservative approach to government, a philosophy he termed "total development." Tagged "Mountain Man" during the 1964 campaign, Moore was born in Asheville and educated at the University of North Carolina. He served in Europe during World War II.
