| Wes Moore | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 15, 1978 Maryland, USA |
| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | Valley Forge Military Academy and College Johns Hopkins University University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Social Entrepreneur Author Soldier Public Speaker Youth Advocate |
| Known for | National Service |
| Website | |
| http://theotherwesmoore.com/ | |
Wes Moore (October 15, 1978) is an author, businessman, and US Army veteran. His first book, "The Other Wes Moore", became an instant New York Times bestseller.[1] Currently, he is the host of "Beyond Belief" on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
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Moore was born in Maryland in 1978. When he was three years old, his father died in front of him of acute epiglottitis. After failing in private school, Moore was sent to military school in Pennsylvania and graduated as Regimental Commander and class president.[2] It is reported that Moore tried to escape 20 times in five days. Moore graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity (initiated into the Sigma Sigma Chapter).[2] Moore completed a Masters of Letters in International Relations from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2004.[3] He is recognized as an authority on the rise and ramifications of radical Islamism in the Western Hemisphere.[4]
Moore was a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army, serving a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan with the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division in 2005–2006. He was involved in managing the American strategic support plan for the Afghan Reconciliation Program, and analyzed the rise and ramifications of radical Islamism in the Western Hemisphere. As a White House Fellow during 2006–2007, Moore served as a Special Assistant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.[5] Moore later joined Citigroup in New York, focusing on global technology and alternative investments. Currently, he is the host of "Beyond Belief" on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
In 2000, as Moore was preparing to attend Oxford, he learned of another young man named Wes Moore who was just two years older, lived in the same neighborhood, and was heading to prison for life for the murder of an off-duty Baltimore police officer. He wrote to the other Wes Moore, and much to his surprise, received a letter back. Through visits with him in prison, and conversations with his family and friends, Moore discovered parallels between their lives.[6] Moore's book, The Other Wes Moore, released in 2010, is based on these interactions.[7] The Other Wes Moore became an instant bestseller, and has been selected as the "common read" for a number of colleges and cities.[8] [9]
Moore serves on the board of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA),[10] the Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees, the Valley Forge Military Academy and College Board of Trustees, and the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation Board of Trustees.[11] He also founded STAND! through Johns Hopkins, which works with Baltimore youth involved in the criminal justice system.[12] Moore was also a featured speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver [13] and addressed the crowd from Invesco Field. He has also spoken at the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Business Plan Competition, Southern Regional Conference of the National Society of Educators, the education reform session of the third annual Race & Reconciliation in America conference, and the first 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Wes lives with his wife Dawn and their daughter in New York.