Leland R. '64 and Bonnie P. Moore of Southern Pines have made a gift to establish a new scholarship at Catawba College. The Leland R. and Bonnie P. Moore Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a need based student athlete who demonstrates scholastic and athletic ability, along with dedicat...

Leland R. '64 and Bonnie P. Moore of Southern Pines have made a gift to establish a new scholarship at Catawba College.

The Leland R. and Bonnie P. Moore Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a need based student athlete who demonstrates scholastic and athletic ability, along with dedication to team and school.   Preference for the scholarship will be given to 1) a deserving defensive back on the football team; 2) a member of the defensive unit; 3) a member of the football team; or 4) a student athlete.

"The Moores have been very supportive of Catawba through the years," said Catawba College Senior Vice President Tom Childress." Leland played football at Catawba and was voted the Most Valuable Defensive Player during his senior year here (1963).   A scholarship seems almost a natural way for this couple to assure that future students, like Leland, have a full and rich Catawba experience."

In recent years, the Moores have also supported the Catawba College Annual Fund, the Shuford Stadium construction project, and the Shuford Stadium Lights project.   But despite those contributions, Moore explained he "felt an obligation to give back" to Catawba in a substantive way.

Of his Catawba experience, Moore noted, "It was not one person, but the whole atmosphere.   It was an absolute great place to be and to grow up.   There were small classes and I could relate to individual professors."

A native of Madison, North Carolina, Moore came to Catawba primarily to play football.   And although he was a walk-on, he did play between 1960 and 1964 for Coach Press Mull initially and then for Coach Harvey Stratton.   He roomed with fellow football player Charlie Little '64 of Salisbury whom he called "an inspiration."

"Football is a team sport.   It taught me the value of hard work to achieve goals.   Being a part of the athletic program as a student athletic gave me a chance to work as a team, learn how to win, lose, deal with adversity and to pull yourself up when things are tough", he said.   "I felt blessed to be a part of the close knit group we had at Catawba."

Moore is especially complimentary of former Assistant Coach Don Maphis. "Coach Maphis gave me confidence in myself and the importance of always doing the right thing.   He may not have realized it, but he taught me how to be the best I could be- a lesson I've tried to carry with me throughout my life.   Winning is important but being the best that you can be and doing the right thing is more important", he said.

After graduating from Catawba, Moore entered the Naval Flight Officers Program in Pensacola, Fla.   He served four and a half years in the U.S. Navy "patrolling the coast in the South China Sea" during the Vietnam War and flying all over the Pacific Ocean "looking for subs" out of San Diego & San Francisco before being discharged at the rank of lieutenant in 1969.

While in the Navy and living in San Diego, he met his wife, the former Bonnie Pravecek of Winner, S.D.     The couple married in August 1967 and have two adult children, Christina and Marcus.  

Moore spent 36 years employed by Wachovia Bank & Trust in its Trust Division.   He retired in December 2004 as a Wealth Strategist from Wachovia's Wealth Management Group in Raleigh.

Leland R. '64 and Bonnie P. Moore of Southern Pines have made a gift to establish a new scholarship at Catawba College. The Leland R. and Bonnie P. Moore Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a need based student athlete who demonstrates scholastic and athletic ability, along with dedicat...

Leland R. '64 and Bonnie P. Moore of Southern Pines have made a gift to establish a new scholarship at Catawba College.

The Leland R. and Bonnie P. Moore Scholarship will provide financial assistance to a need based student athlete who demonstrates scholastic and athletic ability, along with dedication to team and school.   Preference for the scholarship will be given to 1) a deserving defensive back on the football team; 2) a member of the defensive unit; 3) a member of the football team; or 4) a student athlete.

"The Moores have been very supportive of Catawba through the years," said Catawba College Senior Vice President Tom Childress." Leland played football at Catawba and was voted the Most Valuable Defensive Player during his senior year here (1963).   A scholarship seems almost a natural way for this couple to assure that future students, like Leland, have a full and rich Catawba experience."

In recent years, the Moores have also supported the Catawba College Annual Fund, the Shuford Stadium construction project, and the Shuford Stadium Lights project.   But despite those contributions, Moore explained he "felt an obligation to give back" to Catawba in a substantive way.

Of his Catawba experience, Moore noted, "It was not one person, but the whole atmosphere.   It was an absolute great place to be and to grow up.   There were small classes and I could relate to individual professors."

A native of Madison, North Carolina, Moore came to Catawba primarily to play football.   And although he was a walk-on, he did play between 1960 and 1964 for Coach Press Mull initially and then for Coach Harvey Stratton.   He roomed with fellow football player Charlie Little '64 of Salisbury whom he called "an inspiration."

"Football is a team sport.   It taught me the value of hard work to achieve goals.   Being a part of the athletic program as a student athletic gave me a chance to work as a team, learn how to win, lose, deal with adversity and to pull yourself up when things are tough", he said.   "I felt blessed to be a part of the close knit group we had at Catawba."

Moore is especially complimentary of former Assistant Coach Don Maphis. "Coach Maphis gave me confidence in myself and the importance of always doing the right thing.   He may not have realized it, but he taught me how to be the best I could be- a lesson I've tried to carry with me throughout my life.   Winning is important but being the best that you can be and doing the right thing is more important", he said.

After graduating from Catawba, Moore entered the Naval Flight Officers Program in Pensacola, Fla.   He served four and a half years in the U.S. Navy "patrolling the coast in the South China Sea" during the Vietnam War and flying all over the Pacific Ocean "looking for subs" out of San Diego & San Francisco before being discharged at the rank of lieutenant in 1969.

While in the Navy and living in San Diego, he met his wife, the former Bonnie Pravecek of Winner, S.D.     The couple married in August 1967 and have two adult children, Christina and Marcus.  

Moore spent 36 years employed by Wachovia Bank & Trust in its Trust Division.   He retired in December 2004 as a Wealth Strategist from Wachovia's Wealth Management Group in Raleigh.