James Ned Moore

James Ned Moore, born in Coffee County, November 1, 1919, was the son of Clarence Porter Moore and Eva Hudson Moore. He graduated from Opp High School and the University of Alabama. His education was interrupted by four years of service in the U.S. Army during World War II. While fighting at the Battle of the Bulge, he earned the Purple Heart. After the war, he returned to the University of Alabama to receive his LLB Degree in 1951. 
In 1941, Ned was married to the former Wilma King. Ned and Wilma are the parents of three children, a son, Tony Moore of Opp, two daughters, Janet Jeffcoat of Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Margaret McGuire of Opp. 
Ned Moore returned to Opp in 1951 to open his law practice. He pursued the private practice of law from 1951 until 1969. He was the part-owner and operator of the Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant from 1960 until 1967. 
Ned Moore’s greatest contribution to Opp came during his 16-year tenure as Mayor. He served from 1951 through 1960 and again from 1964 through 1972. One of his early and most significant contributions to Opp was the purchase of all electrical and water utilities used in servicing Opp. This almost unprecedented action had far-reaching effects because it provided a financial base for many other city improvements. Another first for Alabama and the entire United States during his administration was Opp’s establishing and building its own cable TV system. Other highlights of Mayor Moore’s administration are: 
  • The $1.5 million Opp High School was built entirely out of local funds.
  • South Highlands Elementary School was built. 
  • The new fire station and Chamber of Commerce facility were built. 
  • New sewage disposal system, one of the first of its kind in the state.
  • Opp’s first industrial park was purchased and began.
  • Cross Trails Regional Library building was built as Opp provided $100,000 to match federal funds. 
  • MacArthur Technical College was built, due to Opp’s purchasing and then donating acreage to the state for this site. 
  • Highway 331 Committee organized, due in large part to Moore’s efforts, the 1000-acre Frank Jackson State Park project was begun. 
  • The Opp Housing Authority became a reality, providing housing for middle- and lower-income people. 
Ned’s devotion for Opp and its citizenry was evident in his active involvement in many public committees and service organizations. He was recognized in 1971 by the Opp Civitan Club with that organization’s Outstanding Citizen Award and subsequently by the Opp Jaycees. At the end of his unprecedented 16-year term as Mayor, the Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Merchants Association, as well as the Black Community, each had a Ned Moore Appreciation Day in his honor. Under Moore’s leadership, the city grew and prospered. The city-owned utilities provided a sound financial base from which to build. During the “Moore” years, the population increased approximately 2,000, while many other towns in this area were declining in population. He had an uncanny ability to get things done and his love for Opp was always his polestar. He believed that regardless of race, creed or color, a person had a right to an education and an opportunity to raise his standard of living. He made Opp a city of progress. He was truly a leader. He died on August 18, 1981. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.