Thomas S. Moorman

Lieutenant General Thomas Samuel Moorman (July 11, 1910 – December 23, 1997) was a senior officer in the United States Air Force who served as the fifth Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Early life

Moorman was born at the Presidio of Monterey, California on July 11, 1910. He attended John J. Phillips High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from the United States Military Academy class of 1933 and entered the Air Corps flying training school at Randolph Field, Texas.

Military career Moorman earned his pilot wings in October 1934 and was assigned to the 4th Observation Squadron, 5th Composite Group at Luke Field, Hawaii. In July 1936, Moorman was reassigned to the 97th Reconnaissance Squadron at Mitchel Field, New York for a 12-month tour.

In 1937, Moorman entered the field of meteorology, obtained a Master of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology and embarked on a sphere of activity which would dominate the next 20 years of his career. After a two-year assignment as Weather Officer at Randolph Field, Texas, he gained valuable information in meteorology through further study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In July 1941, Moorman was assigned to Air Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief climatologist and assistant director of the Air Corps Research Center and liaison officer to the United States Weather Bureau. In April 1943, he completed a course at the Command and General Staff School in Kansas. From May 1943 until December 1943, Moorman was commanding officer of the 21st Weather Squadron, first at Bradley Field, Connecticut, and later in England.

Moorman became staff weather officer and later director of weather for Ninth Air Force in the European Theater of Operations, a position he held from January 1944 until December 1944. From January 1945 until June 1945, he served as commanding officer of the 21st Weather Squadron and Staff Weather Officer for Ninth Air Force. After V-J Day in 1945, Moorman returned to the United States as deputy chief of staff for Air Weather Service. One year later he became air weather officer at Headquarters Army Air Forces and remained in that position until he entered the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In June 1948, Moorman graduated from the War College after completing a year of training.