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James E. Moore, Jr.

Facts

UNC

Teams

Bio

James E. Moore, Jr. (Jim) was born in Wilmington, NC, on January 29, 1945.

At New Hanover High School, Moore was voted MVP in football, was co-captain, MVP, and First Team All-State in basketball, and was a leading hitter (batting average) in baseball. Moore and his NHHS teammates won the 4-A basketball state championship his junior and senior years and, in 2010, the staff of The Charlotte Observer named his senior team the sixth best high school basketball team ever in the state of North Carolina. In Eastern 4-A conference games his senior year, Moore made 76 out of 83 free throws for a 91% average. In baseball, his high school team won an unofficial 4-A state championship and, during his high school years, his American Legion baseball teams won two state championships.

Uncertain about which sport to choose for college, Jim entertained scholarship offers for all three sports until the spring of his senior year when he accepted a full scholarship offer to play basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels under their new coach, Dean Smith.  At UNC he was a point guard and standout defensive player for the basketball team and, as a senior, was the recipient of the Foy Robeson Award as The Team’s Most Inspirational Player. In addition, he lettered in track in three events: the high jump, broad jump, and triple jump.

Moore graduated from UNC with a degree in Psychology in January, 1967, and, while waiting to enter Air Force Officer Training School, taught high school Biology and Physics. He then served in the Air Force from 1967 until 1971 as an Electronics Communication officer.

In 1971 he returned to Wilmington and joined the James E Moore Insurance Agency which he purchased in 1974. Since then the business has grown from 2 to 22 employees and Jim’s daughter, Adrienne, who joined the business in 2009, is now in the process of taking over the day to day operations.

At age 70, Jim is still playing basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf and supporting young athletes and athletics as a mentor, financial supporter and fan.  He is on the Board of the Wilmington Family YMCA and the GWSHOF.

Jim lives at Wrightsville Beach with his wife, Nancy, who for the past 18 years, has shared his love of sports.