Moore ’82: “I Owe VMI More than I Thought I Ever Would”

During his childhood, VMI was never far from the mind of Richard Moore II ’82, mainly because its presence was never far from where he lived: New Market, Virginia. “The battlefield park overlooked my grandfather’s farm,” he recalled. The presence of the Institute in his life grew larger when one of Moore’s four brothers, Michael, left home to attend VMI in 1974 – graduating in 1978. Another brother, James, also would later graduate in 1984.

Moore attended VMI as a state cadet, a need-based scholarship for Virginia residents, which paid for his room and board. To pay the remaining cost of his education – which he describes as “four years and four summers” – he depended on several other need-based scholarships, grants and loans.

After graduating as a civil engineer, Moore repaid his obligation for the state cadetship by remaining in Lexington and working for the commonwealth of Virginia’s Division of Water Programs for two years. After working for a fellow alumnus for another two years as a design engineer, he embarked on a 30-year career in the construction industry. “Work was never a chore. It’s easy to get up in the morning when you love your job,” Moore stated. The bulk of his career was spent renovating medical facilities on Army posts across the country, which, as he put it, “combined my VMI background with my business,” and concluded with the sale of his company and his retirement.

After graduation, Moore set out to repay the Institute for the valuable life lessons he learned. “I am a firm believer in the VMI system, because I got a lot out of the experience. In fact, deciding to go to VMI is what I describe as ‘my first mature decision.’ I knew without the structure of cadet life, I might not make it through college. The VMI experience provided me the structure and tools necessary to be successful as a person and businessman.” Several years ago, after he reached a point in his career when his family was financially secure, Moore increased his giving to VMI substantially.

In 2014, he and his wife, Melissa, decided to create the Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Moore II 1982 Scholarship. It is a need-based scholarship that focuses on cadets who wish to study engineering and are from Shenandoah County, Virginia. “My wife, Melissa, and I were both raised in the valley, and by providing assistance for young people to attend VMI, we give back to VMI and our home,” Moore explained.

A desire to give back to the Institute is a thread that runs through Moore’s philanthropy to the Institute.

“Looking back over my VMI experience and what it afforded me to do, I feel a great sense of responsibility to help continue the tradition for others. I owe VMI more than I thought I ever would as a cadet.”

Another thread, however, is the value of VMI as an institution. “The Institute does so many good things for our cadets and for the country. It educates for leadership and success and inculcates a strong sense of service, and its graduates give so much to their employers, their communities and the country. Everything that we can do, therefore, to support that type of education, we should do.”

When asked what his future philanthropy at VMI might look like, Moore said, “I feel fortunate to have the ability to make a difference, and as long as I’m able, I’ll continue to support the Institute.”