Press Release

January 26, 2015 | By Cole Hatcher

Gregory L. Moore ’76

Denver Post Editor, Ohio Wesleyan Graduate Gregory L. Moore to Be Honored by Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges

Gregory L. Moore ’76

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University alumnus Gregory L. Moore, Class of 1976, will be inducted in April into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) Hall of Excellence.

Moore is the editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Denver Post and the 10th Ohio Wesleyan graduate to be inducted into the Hall of Excellence since it was created in 1987 to honor distinguished alumni from OFIC-member colleges.

Inductees are selected based on a committee review of their professional achievement; impact on society through service, leadership, scholarship, minority affairs, sciences, research, arts, or elected office; and service to their alma mater, all of which exemplify the value of a liberal arts education.

Moore, a journalism and politics and government double major at Ohio Wesleyan, joined The Denver Post in 2002. Under his leadership, the newspaper has earned four consecutive Pulitzer Prizes: Breaking News Reporting in 2013, Editorial Cartooning in 2011, and Feature Photography in 2010 and 2012.

Prior to joining The Denver Post, Moore worked at The Boston Globe, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, and The (Dayton) Journal Herald in roles ranging from reporter to city editor to managing editor.

During his accomplished career, Moore also has earned the Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award from the National Press Foundation, the Journalist of the Year Award from the New England Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and been elected as co-chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board.

Since graduating from Ohio Wesleyan, Moore has remained connected with his alma mater, serving for 14 years as a member of the university’s Board of Trustees as well as a longtime alumni and admission volunteer. He is a member of the President’s Circle and has made significant financial contributions to the university, providing support for the Butler A. Jones House of Black Culture, the Willa B. Player Black Resource Center, a mission trip to Ghana, and other OWU initiatives.

In addition, Moore has mentored students at Ohio Wesleyan and elsewhere, preparing them to become the next generation of insightful, effective journalists. For his mentoring, Moore earned the 2012 Alumni of the Year Award from Ohio Wesleyan’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Moore shared thoughts about his OWU experience recently with the national Council of Independent Colleges as part of the inaugural group selected for the Washington, D.C.-based organization’s “Securing America’s Future” education initiative.

“I sampled a rich menu of religion, sociology, psychology, economics and astronomy before settling on journalism,” Moore stated. “Outside of the classroom, I engaged in the issues of our times, participating in protests on campus and learning negotiating skills across the table from top administrators of the university. Our leaders encouraged that level of engagement. And I am grateful.

“I found my career at Ohio Wesleyan,” Moore concluded, “and I am certain I would not be the top editor of a major U.S. newspaper had I not gone there.”

Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., said Moore richly deserves the prestigious OFIC honor.

“Greg’s commitment to higher education, to Ohio Wesleyan, and to mentoring students is longstanding and inspiring,” Jones said. “Greg’s career success also is inspiring – with his liberal arts-based Ohio Wesleyan education creating a strong foundation for his life and livelihood as one of the nation’s leading journalists. We’re thrilled that Greg is the 10th member of our OWU family to be honored with induction into the OFIC Hall of Excellence.”

Ohio Wesleyan graduates previously inducted into the Hall of Excellence are:

  • Jean Carper, Class of 1953, New York Times best-selling author and former CNN medical correspondent, inducted in 2014.
  • Evan R. Corns, Class of 1959, co-founder and retired CEO of America’s Body Co., inducted in 2010.
  • David L. Hobson, Class of 1958, retired member of the U.S. House of Representatives, inducted in 2005.
  • George H. Conrades, Class of 1961, chairman of Akamai Technologies, inducted in 2001.
  • Robert W. Gillespie, Class of 1966, chairman emeritus of KeyCorp, inducted in 1997.
  • Sherwood Rowland, Ph.D., Class of 1948, Nobel Prize-winning research chemist, inducted in 1996.
  • David Hamilton Smith, M.D., Class of 1953, physician, researcher, and author, inducted in 1995.
  • Frank N. Stanton, Ph.D., Class of 1930, former president of CBS, inducted in 1991.
  • Norman Vincent Peale, Class of 1920, pastor and author of the “Power of Positive Thinking,” inducted in 1989.

Moore will be inducted during a special “Evening of Excellence” April 16 at The Westin Columbus. Learn more about Moore at blogs.denverpost.com/editors/author/gregmoore.

About the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges was founded in 1950 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization representing higher education throughout the state of Ohio. Today, OFIC has 34 member institutions, including Ohio Wesleyan, representing nearly 100,000 students. Learn more about the Foundation and its Hall of Excellence at www.ofic.org.

About Ohio Wesleyan University

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.