UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Long-time Penn State faculty member Lou Moore was highly regarded for his vast knowledge of agricultural economics and policy, his enthusiasm for helping others, and his dedication to building the next generation of agricultural and extension leaders.

Most of all, the professor emeritus of agricultural economics in the College of Agricultural Sciences was admired for his ability to connect with people.

Moore died Nov. 9 at the age of 91.

“Lou was a very personable guy; people just loved him,” said James Dunn, professor emeritus of agricultural economics, who worked closely with Moore. “He had a way of putting himself in other people’s shoes and had a knack for making complex information understandable. That’s why he was successful in extension in Pennsylvania and internationally.”

Moore, a native of Bedford County, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Penn State in 1952 and 1956, respectively. He began working for the University in 1955 as Penn State Extension's first area marketing agent.

Based in Erie County, he traveled to 10 Pennsylvania counties consulting with farmers and other agricultural producers. In 1958, Penn State invited him back to University Park to become an extension economist and livestock, meat and grain specialist.

In the 1970s, Moore pioneered the first educational programs in agricultural futures markets. These markets now are used widely by farmers and agricultural industries.

Moore also was a popular speaker, educating industry stakeholders on topics ranging from marketing to agricultural policy and “everything in-between,” according to Jayson Harper, professor of agricultural economics and director of the college’s Fruit Research and Extension Center.                

“Lou was a legend,” said Harper. “Hundreds would turn out when Lou was the speaker — he had that kind of reputation. He connected with people, and they saw him as a trusted source of information and an advocate for agriculture and extension.”

Ted Alter, professor of agricultural, environmental and regional economics, echoed Harper’s perspective. “Lou’s talks about serious and complex economics and marketing issues were laced with humor that helped bring greater understanding of these issues for everyone,” Alter said. “Lou and his presentations always were in high demand by local and state agribusiness groups across Pennsylvania.”

Moore also was an exceptional mentor to students and faculty. “Lou took me under his wing when I joined the college in 1989,” Harper said. “He supported me but also could be tough and challenged me when I needed it. He believed in helping everyone reach their potential, and I appreciated that.”

Alter, who arrived at Penn State in 1976 as a new assistant professor of agricultural economics, likewise benefited from Moore’s wealth of knowledge and experience.

“Lou and his approach to extension were positive models and provided strong inspiration for many of us,” Alter said. “Through his work, he made extraordinarily significant impacts on the agricultural economy of Pennsylvania and the learning of the farmers, processors, agribusiness input suppliers, bankers, retailers, and local and state policy makers with whom he worked.”

Beginning in 1990, Moore worked intensively throughout Eastern Europe in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Copernicus Society of America. His efforts included training hundreds of professionals in extension work. Dunn and Harper were among the faculty who accompanied Moore on trips to countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Serbia and Lithuania.

“Lou became increasingly involved in international agribusiness and wanted to bring extension education to countries that did not have access to it,” Dunn said. “He believed it was important to pass along advice and information to improve agricultural outcomes. We maintained friendships with these colleagues for many years to follow. Actually, several have contacted me to express condolences on his passing.”

Seven years later, Moore started a 13-year USDA faculty exchange program that brought 75 faculty members from the former Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries to Penn State for rigorous agricultural economics training. He and his colleagues raised nearly $1 million to support the program.

Moore helped these visiting faculty by finding them housing and showing them around the community. He and his family invited them into their home — a restored, 200-year-old log barn. He even got them bicycles from the bicycle shop owned by one of his sons.

“Lou went out of his way to help them,” Harper said. “He was a father figure to them, and they just loved to hear him talk.”

That was true for Suzanna Windon, a native of Ukraine, who took part in the faculty exchange program in 2004. She said her decision to return to the U.S. was influenced by the people she met at Penn State, including Moore and Dunn.

“Lou always was very genuine, reliable and trustworthy,” said the assistant professor and director of the college’s Ukrainian Rural and Agricultural Development Program. “He went the extra mile to help our group. We never hesitated to ask for advice because we knew that we would get a genuine response. I learned a lot from Lou about American agriculture and cooperative extension.”

Throughout his career, Moore wrote hundreds of articles and worked closely with county extension educators, farmers and people from all aspects of agribusiness. He was a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and appeared regularly on WPSU-TV’s “Weather World” program and its predecessor, “Farm, Home and Garden.”

Moore’s awards include the PennAg Industries Association Distinguished Service Award, the USDA Faculty Exchange Award, the Outstanding International Spirit of Extension Award, and the Pennsylvania Bankers’ Association’s 56-year Service Award. In 2013, Moore was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society.

Moore retired from Penn State in 2011 with 56 years of service.

“Lou Moore will be held in the hearts and memories of those who had the privilege of knowing him,” said Deanna Behring, assistant dean and director of international programs for the College of Agricultural Sciences. “His decades of dedication to the international work of the college helped us build colleagues and lasting friendships around the world, and we are forever grateful.”

Among Moore’s survivors are his wife of 69 years, Jane, their four sons, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Donations in his memory can be made to the H. Louis Moore Program Endowment in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education at raise.psu.edu/HLouisMooreEndowment.