A. Brown Moore

Andre Brown Moore, known as A. Brown Moore or Brownie Moore (August 23, 1911 – 1987),^[1] was a lawyer, businessman, and a Democratic politician from his native New Orleans, Louisiana.

Biography

Moore attended the independent nondenominational day school, the Isidore Newman School, and in 1934 graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, presumably with legal credentials in hand at the age of twenty-three. He was a partner in the firm of McCloskey, Moore, and Dennery from 1934 to 1950, when he joined the New Orleans former city commission government. From 1941 to 1946, with two years overseas, he was in active duty as a judge advocate on the staff of United States Army General George S. Patton, Jr. Moore received the Bronze Star and had advanced to the rank of lieutenant colonel at the time of his discharge from the Army.^[2]

After 1957, he was a partner in Robert Oil Company and the president of Pan Air Corporation, a company involved with aviation sales and service. He was also the chief executive officer of the Tidelands Life Insurance Company. He was senior warden at Trinity Church, the largest Episcopalian congregation in New Orleans, located at 1329 Jackson Avenue.^[2]

In 1950, Moore was elected as the last public utilities commissioner in New Orleans under the former city commission government, which was replaced in 1954 through a home rule charter with single-member districts under the traditional mayor-council arrangement. He then represented District A from 1954 to 1957, when he resigned for stated business reasons.^[2] On the council his colleagues included later Lieutenant Governor Jimmy Fitzmorris and future Mayor Victor Schiro. Moore was subsequently succeeded on the council by his fellow Democrat, Henry B. Curtis.^[3]

In 1956, Moore was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor on the intra-party gubernatorial ticket headed by businessman Fred Preaus of Farmerville in Union Parish in North Louisiana, the former state highway director supported by outgoing Governor Robert F. Kennon. Lether Frazar of Lake Charles, instead won the lieutenant governor's race. He was the choice of Earl Kemp Long, who staged a comeback for a third term as governor. Besides Long and Preaus, the other major gubernatorial candidate in 1956 was Brown's New Orleans municipal colleague, Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison, who finished second to Long but ahead of Brown's ticket-mate, Fred Preaus.^[4]

Moore died in 1987, the same year as Preaus. Moore's place of interment is unknown. His papers are deposited in special collections at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library on the Tulane campus.^[2]

References