JOHN A. MOORE (1940-44) #54As part of #KCParks125, we are featuring all 104 Park Board Commissioners in order of their service.John Albert Moore, Jr. (1904-1979) was born in Kansas City. His father John A. Moore, Sr. was a well-known and respected local real estate agent and investor of the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Moore, Jr. went into the real estate business after graduating from the University of Missouri in Columbia, joining his father’s firm the Rieger-Moore Real Estate Company. After his father’s death, the company eventually became the Moore and Kessinger Company. Mr. Moore married Marjorie Scott in 1929. They had two daughters.Mr. Moore was appointed to the Park Board as President in 1940, a crucial time. There was quite a bit of “cleaning house” of the Kansas City city government in 1940 after the ouster of City Manager Henry McElroy, and the cutting of ties with the political influence political boss Tom Pendergast. Employees of the City were scrutinized and many were let go. The Park Board of 1940 dealt with issues evolving from that as well as looking at what was accomplished and what was not done during the 1930s for the park and boulevard systems and the zoo. The Park Board also moved forward and added recreational facilities as well as the Swope Park Swimming Pool, even though progress was limited because of World War II and its effect on obtaining supplies due to the War. Another notable event during this time was the rehiring of Herbert Hare as park board consultant and landscape architect. Mr. Moore served on the Board as President until 1944.Another important city-related accomplishment of Mr. Moore was that he was the founding president of the Starlight Theatre Association at the time of the building of the theater and for its first year. He served in that capacity from July 1950 until 1952. He had been involved with the planning committee of the theater since 1945.Mr. Moore was involved with a number of real estate organizations, was a charter member of Friends of the Zoo, belonged to the Native Sons of Kansas City, and many other groups. #KCParks #FromTheArchives