Larry Wallace Moore

Larry Wallace Moore died on August 9, 2000, in an automobile accident near Gooding, ID. He is survived by his wife, Marjean; sons Michael, Jeffrey, and Brian; daughters Christie and Suzanne; mother, Florence; sister LeAnn; and 11 grandchildren.

Larry Moore

Moore was born in Menan, ID, on August 24, 1937, and was raised on a farm near Grant, ID. In 1961, he married Marjean Davenport. He received his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Idaho in 1962, his master’s degree from the same institution in 1964, and his Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1969, he accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. He advanced to full professor and retired from the department in 1999.

Moore was an internationally recognized authority in phytobacteriology. His research was instrumental in the widespread adoption of the biocontrol agent Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 by growers for suppression of crown gall of stone fruits, a system heralded as a premier success story in the biological control of plant disease. He conducted research to mesh the biological control agent with standard nursery practices and enlisted the cooperation of numerous growers to perform large-scale field trials in commercial nurseries. The procedures developed through this research are now standard practice in stone fruit nurseries and were essential to the commercial success of this biological control agent. Moore founded and served as president of BioProducts Inc., which produces and distributes A. radiobacter K84 for use in commercial agriculture.

For 30 years, Moore served as a primary resource on disease problems for the ornamental and nursery industry in the Pacific Northwestern United States. His success in transferring his research findings from experimental to commercial systems can be attributed in large part to his effective interactions with the grower community and his responsiveness to disease problems that limit horticultural production. Consequently, Moore was recognized early in his career for his contributions to the horticultural industry with the Oregon Association of Nurserymen’s research achievement award.

At Oregon State University, Moore played an active role in educating students through a graduate-level course in bacterial diseases of plants. He served as major professor to numerous M.S. and Ph.D degree students, and many of these individuals have since enjoyed successful careers as plant pathologists in academia or industry. He also served as a mentor to postdoctoral research fellows and as a host to numerous international scientists who visited his laboratory over the years.

Moore made major contributions through service to the profession of plant pathology. For 20 years, he devoted 20% of his time to the plant sciences program of the USDA, Cooperative State Research Service, where he oversaw national programs in plant pathology. He served as a member or chair of numerous national panels and committees for USDA-CSRS, the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP), and other groups. In the early 1980s, he provided vision and a constructive voice in early discussions focused on the responsible use of biotechnology in agriculture. He was an active member of a regional project on the detection and control of plant pathogenic bacteria (NC135/NCR169) for almost 20 years and on a regional project on genetic engineering to improve plant health (W172) for more than 10 years. In 1992, he founded the Microbial Germplasm Database Project, which provides detailed information on approximately 400,000 plant-associated microorganisms maintained in culture collections housed in 450 university, government, and industrial laboratories located around the world. He served as a special editor (1981-1983) and as a member of the editorial advisory board (1988-1991) of Plant Disease. He served on several committees of APS including: Bacteriology (1974-1977), Biological Control (1982-1986, chair 1986), Collections and Germplasm (1988-1991), Archives and History Awareness (1993-present), Electronic Technology Ad Hoc Committee (1993-1994, chair 1994), and a subcommittee on Regulations for Biotechnology (1988). Moore also served as secretary/treasurer, president-elect, and president of the Pacific Division of APS.

Moore was a valued colleague who had an engaging sense of humor, took delight in discussing ideas, and exuded enthusiasm for scientific inquiry. He served as an encouraging and supportive mentor to many younger colleagues. A religious man, his integrity, honesty, and kindness were widely respected. In a eulogy to Larry, his daughter described him as a gardener by avocation and vocation, a person who "tended plants and tended people." He will be greatly missed.

Memorial donations can be made to the OSU Foundation, Larry W. Moore Endowment Fund, to support graduate students in plant pathology (mail to Dr. Stella Coakley, Department Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331); or to the APS Foundation, Larry W. Moore Student Travel Fund, to support travel to APS annual meetings (mail to APS Foundation, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097).