USATF mourns loss of Olympic Champion Charles Moore

Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer, Charles Moore, passed away from pancreatic cancer on Thursday, Oct. 8. He was 91 years old.
 
Born on August 12, 1929, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Moore was one of the greatest hurdlers of all time. He never lost a 400m hurdles race and was an innovator in the event. Before Moore came along, competitors in the event customarily took 15 strides between hurdles. However, Moore applied a principle of engineering and decided 13 strides between hurdles would offer more fluidity and power.
 
In 1952, Moore won the 400m hurdles gold medal in Helsinki in an Olympic record time of 50.8, only two tenths of a second shy of a world record, despite running on a soft, rain-soaked track. He also ran a leg on the second place 4x400m relay team.
 
As a student at Cornell, the versatile Moore won the 1949 NCAA 440 yard flat race and the 1951 220-yard hurdles. He also won four straight national hurdles titles and the 1952 national 600-yard indoor title.
 
Following his outstanding performance in Helsinki, Moore officially retired from competition in 1952. After serving as president and CEO of several multinational manufacturing companies, Moore became Cornell's athletic director from 1994 to 1999 and president of the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletics of America from 1999. He has also served as a private sector member of the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors.
 
In March 2017, Moore published a memoir titled, “Running on Purpose: Winning Olympic Gold, Advancing Corporate Leadership and Creating Sustainable Value.” The book details his career in athletics, business and philanthropy.
 
Moore was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999. Moore attended Mercersburg Academy, a private preparatory boarding school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, the same school his father, Charles Moore Sr., attended before qualifying for the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris as an alternate hurdler.
 
After being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer earlier this year, Moore declined treatment. Moore is survived by his wife of 49 years, Judith, as well as eight children and 16 grandchildren.
 
Information on services are pending.