Edward H. Moore
Edward Hall Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Near Maryville, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | September 2, 1950 (aged 78) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, Oil businessman, Politician |
| Years active | Early 1900s–1949 |
| Known for | United States Senator from Oklahoma (1943–1949) |
Edward Hall Moore (November 19, 1871 – September 2, 1950) served as a United States senator representing Oklahoma from 1943 until 1949.
Early years
Moore was born near Maryville, Missouri. He completed his education at the Chillicothe Normal School in 1892 and spent several years teaching across different counties in Missouri. Pursuing an interest in oratory, he enrolled at the Kansas City School of Law, graduating in 1900. After gaining admission to the Missouri bar in 1901, he began his legal career in Maryville. Subsequently, he moved to Okmulgee, then located within Indian Territory, where he held the position of city attorney. In 1905, Moore married Cora McComb and resumed his legal practice in Okmulgee until 1919, while simultaneously investing in real estate and managing a cattle ranch.
Around 1919, Moore shifted his focus from law to the oil industry. As an independent oil prospector, he achieved his first successful oil discovery in the Holmes Field of Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. He went on to establish the Independent Oil & Gas Company, expanding its operations into Kansas and Texas. By 1930, the company’s valuation was estimated between $25 million and $40 million before he sold it to Phillips Petroleum Company. In 1932, Moore founded E. H. Moore, Inc., which operated more than 400 wells spanning Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and California; he sold this enterprise in 1941 and divested from his cattle business two years later.
Political activity
Initially aligned with the Democratic Party, Moore opposed Roosevelt’s New Deal initiatives and supported Republican Wendell Willkie during the 1940 presidential election. After the passing of Republican Senate nominee W. B. Pine and facing incumbent Democrat Joshua B. Lee, Moore was chosen as the Republican replacement candidate for the 1942 Senate contest. Utilizing his personal fortune to fund his campaign, he successfully won election.
Moore represented Oklahoma as a Republican U.S. Senator for one term (1943–1949). Throughout his tenure, he consistently rejected New Deal policies but advocated for increased international involvement compared to many of his Republican colleagues; notably, he was among seven senators who opposed full U.S. membership in the United Nations in 1945. His legislative record favored military expenditures while resisting funding for public infrastructure projects, including those benefiting Oklahoma. A proponent of the oil sector, he unsuccessfully challenged Leland Olds’s reappointment as Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, criticizing Olds for being antagonistic toward private business.
In recognition of his contributions as a "...statesman and philanthropist," Moore was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1948.
Death
Moore passed away on September 2, 1950, in Tulsa and was laid to rest at Okmulgee Cemetery.