Peter Weddick Moore

Peter Weddick Moore (June 24, 1859 – April 15, 1934) was a North Carolina educator and the first president of Elizabeth City State University. Educated by Sampson County public schools and Shaw University, Moore later became an assistant principal at the Normal School at Plymouth, until he built and became principal of what is now known as the Elizabeth City State University.

Early life Moore grew up in Duplin County, North Carolina. Born to two slave parents, he had a tumultuous childhood. His father is believed to have been killed by the Ku Klux Klan, so his mother was forced to raise him and his four siblings alone. Moore's mother believed that her children should all be educated and saw to it that Moore went to school during his upbringing. He was said to have gone to a neighborhood school created by the Freedmen's Bureau. He went on to study at the Philosophian Academy in a neighboring county, where he was able to develop his academic interests. After graduation, Moore became certified to teach in a one-room school, allowing him to further pursue his passion for academia. After the school opened, it split into three separate schools: Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, and Winston-Salem State Normal Schools. Moore served as the principal until 1928 when he retired, just six years before his death.

Legacy Despite his declining health, Moore continued to teach classroom management in his retirement. In 1928 he was granted the title of President Emeritus by Elizabeth State University. This position included a home and salary for the remainder of his life. Moore is credited as the reason that relations between whites and African Americans were so positive in Elizabeth City.