Dr. Claude Moore was born in Danville, Virginia in 1892. He would later describe his childhood in the Southwest Virginia towns of Radford and Roanoke as one of poverty, steeped in the values of hard work and thrift.
After two years at Roanoke College, young Claude entered the University of Virginia Medical School, where against the dean's advice, he also played varsity football, relying on his photographic memory to enable him to pursue sports in addition to his demanding academic schedule. He graduated in 1916 and went on to complete his medical internship at New York Hospital. In 1917, at the onset of World War I, Dr. Moore volunteered for the Army, received medical training in military surgery at Mayo Clinic, and served as a first lieutenant in France.
Following World War I, Dr. Moore returned to Roanoke, where he practiced for seven years before joining the staff of Mayo Clinic to study radiology. In 1930, he moved to the District of Columbia and taught at the George Washington University. A professor in radiology, Dr. Moore served as the first chairman of the university's radiology department, developing it into a modern facility for the time. He later established a lucrative independent practice.
