Bob Moore Oral History Interview (2 of 2)

In interview 2, Moore expands a bit more on the outcomes of his decision to turn Bob’s Red Mill over to its employees through an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP). Relieved of the demands of running the business and with resources available from the sale of the business, Moore’s attention turned to philanthropy. The combination of OSU’s history as a land grant college, its research interests, and its extension services that operated throughout the state all appealed to Bob and Charlee Moore as the place to direct their philanthropy. In 2011, the Moores donated $5 million dollars to endow the Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health (MFC) in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Moore recounts the relationships that developed, and continue, with President Ed Ray, then Dean Tammy Bray, MFC Endowed Outreach Coordinator Renee Carr, and MFC Endowed Director Emily Ho as they make the Moore Family Center a reality.

Bob Moore was born in 1929 in Portland, Oregon. For much of his life, Moore managed an automobile service center. In 1978 – inspired by his wife Charlee, who had long harbored an interest in healthy eating – Moore founded Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, headquartered in Milwaukie, Oregon. A prominent producer of whole grain products, the company now employs over 600 people and sells its products worldwide. In addition to success in business, Moore is well-known for his philanthropic efforts, which include OSU’s Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Natural Medicine. Created in 2011 as a result of a $5 million gift, the Moore Family Center researches the roles that whole grains and other foods can play in improving human health and preventing disease.