Moore Focuses on Col. Lynn for Founders Day

Chairman of the Lehman-Roberts Company, Moore served as an MUS trustee from 2002-17. In 2018 the Alumni Executive Board named him Volunteer of the Year.

MUS was founded on September 13, 1893, but closed during the Great Depression. Lynn, who was the first headmaster of Presbyterian Day School, joined with other leaders to relaunch MUS at 6191 Park Avenue in 1955. With his emphasis on character, scholarship, individualism, and initiative, Lynn set the course for MUS, Moore said, and he hired many legendary instructors, including English teacher Bill Hatchett and teacher-coaches Jake Rudolph and Jerry Peters.

He was also instrumental in choosing the 94-acre parcel of land “in the middle of nowhere” so the school had room to grow. Before the re-establishment of the school, many boys who were headed to college went to boarding schools in the East.

“He was an extraordinary man,” Moore said. “He’s a man who sees an educational and community problem in a city he didn’t grow up in, sees a vacant field, has an impossible or an impractical dream, and sees a school, MUS, here.”

Moore described a leader who called students by name; who lived the school’s motto, Veritas Honorque (Truth and Honor); who, in his 50s, successfully demonstrated how to clear a pole vault bar.

He closed his presentation by saying Col. Lynn was the same man at home, as a father to his brother, Thurston Moore ’64, and himself.

“You are his legacy,” Moore told the students assembled in Hyde Chapel. “His joy, his idea was to help young men … to give them a runway, a launching pad, to create an environment where you could learn not only academically, but with character.”

Moore was joined in the audience by his wife, Carey; two of his four daughters, Emily Bragorgos and Grace Halliday; son-in-law Allen Halliday ’85; son, Richard Moore ’98; daughter-in-law Taylor Moore; and grandsons Allen Halliday ’27 and Richard Moore ’32. Also in attendance was classmate Rusty Bloodworth ’63. “The only person here who could tell if I was lying,” Moore said.

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As part of the chapel, Student Council President Anders Trammell ’27 presented Headmaster Pete Sanders with a medallion honoring his support of Founders Day over his tenure. Instructor in History Ted Fockler ’10 helped organize the day, and he introduced Moore. Following Moore’s talk, select students donned red T-shirts placed on their chapel seats to make a giant U that was photographed from the stage.

Then the students headed outside to enjoy Mempops and games.

Watch the full chapel HERE. 

Find photos of chapel HERE and Mempops HERE.