Alum Heads Board During Historic Time
Tom Moore '74

Tom Moore ’74 is a history buff— and as the new President of the Summit Board of Trustees, he is challenged with leading the School during one of the most important years in its history.

During his first term on the Board, Tom Chaired the Finance Committee which was excellent preparation for this year as the Board addresses initiatives relating to the goals of the Strategic Plan, decides which major improvements the School will embark upon in the near future, and how to finance them.

He is also charged with leading the Board in a national search to find a new Head of School to replace Sandra Adams who announced that she would retire at the end of the 2007-08 school year. Tom will Chair the Search Committee, which will complete that task over the next eighteen months.

In his letter to the Summit community upon Sandra’s announcement, Tom echoed the sentiments of everyone associated with the School when he said, “Words cannot adequately describe the appreciation and admiration we all feel for Sandra’s career-long contributions to our school. Her enthusiasm, intellect, leadership skills, and love for Summit will all be sorely missed.”

Although Tom only attended Summit for one year, he is one of the School’s most vocal supporters. His father, Thomas Owen Moore, Jr ‘49, and both of his siblings, Rob Moore ’76 and Lee Moore ’81, also attended the School. “At a typical school it would be very hard to enter during the last year,” says Tom. “But Summit couldn’t have been more welcoming. One year was definitely not enough.” He also feels fortunate that he had Sandra Adams for two classes during that year—Latin and world cultures. “She was a great teacher and became a great friend,” Tom says.

After graduation, Tom and three of his fellow Summit alums headed to Episcopal High School in Virginia where he has since shared his exceptional leadership skills as the Advisory Council Chair in 2001-02, helping to shape the role of the arts.

As a history major at UNC-CH, Tom’s life-long fascination with history grew into a passion when he studied the Civil War during a military history class taught by noted professor James Leutze, who went on to become Chancellor of UNC-Wilmington. “His lecture on the Civil War was so outstanding that the room was packed with students who weren’t even enrolled in the class,” says Tom. From then on, he says, he read everything he could get his hands on about the War.

After graduating, Tom headed to New York City where he worked in the training program for Chemical Bank, now J.P. Morgan. From there he moved to Chicago where he worked in commercial lending. Chicago soon felt like home and Tom might have stayed had his father not persuaded him to return to Winston-Salem in 1984 to become CFO of his father’s structural building supply company. Tom says it might not have worked if his father hadn’t picked the coldest, most blustery day of the winter to come and convince him.

Tom initially met his wife, Constance, at Chapel Hill through her roommate, Karen Howell ’74, Tom’s Winston-Salem neighbor and fellow Summit alum. Tom and Constance reacquainted, and the two were married in 1987.

Investing had long been a hobby of Tom’s, so in 2003 he left the family business to start Littlefield Capital Management. In January of 2007, Brant Snavely ‘75, who had his own investment company in Charlotte, combined his firm with Tom’s. The new business is called Westhampton Capital. “Our families had always known each other and once we started talking last year, we found we had the same philosophy and goals regarding investments,” says Tom. “We thought maybe there was some synergy there and agreed that there was a market that was being underserved.”

History has remained a passion of Tom’s. He knew about Civil War reenactments but hadn’t considered taking part until a friend, who was active in the 26th Regiment North Carolina Troops, persuaded him to give it a try. The organization portrays a regiment from the Army of Northern Virginia which distinguished itself throughout the Confederate States Army. The group also portrays the 58th NCT and the 24th Michigan—a Federal Regiment.

Tom knew that the organization of nearly 300 military members was professionally run and historically accurate. “The members come from all walks of life with the common interest in seriously honoring those we represent—but also want to have fun as well,” says Tom, who is a member of the regiment’s Color Guard. Flag bearers are considered heroes as both the focal point of the Regiment and a primary target due to their high visibility.

Reenacters stay in role by dressing authentically, camping in tents with no modern amenities and eating the same kinds of foods as did the soldiers they portray. They take part in both tactical, or unscripted, and scripted battles for which they prepare with extensive practice drills, just as the original regiments did. Hits are based on the honor system and observers score the battle. The battles often attract hundreds of people who listen as an announcer describes what is happening.

“It is like living history,” says Tom, who participates in 5 to 10 events a year, several of which are held at National Historic Battlefields such as Gettysburg and Appomattox Court House. “Going from the history book to the battlefield is wonderful because we get to experience a little bit of the sacrifice and hardship of the men involved in the great conflict,” says Tom, who finds great motivation in having the chance to educate others. “It is important to point out that we don’t do this to glorify war,” he says. “We want people to appreciate what others did to protect what we have.” He comes to Summit each spring and shares a bit of the experience with eighth grade history classes. “It is a matter of national security for young people to understand our history,” says Tom. “How can we defend what we don’t understand or appreciate?”

When it came time for Tom’s sons to start school, he says that Summit was the obvious choice. They looked at several schools, but in the end, Tom said to his wife, “trust me on this one.” Son, Tom ’06, graduated from Summit last year and is into music and sports. George, a current eighth grader is beginning to show signs of interest in reenactments and recently accompanied his father to a battle. “I think he is beginning to feel that it is more ‘cool’ than ‘uncool’,” says Tom.

At this important time in Summit’s history, Tom recognizes the Board’s obligation to preserve the School’s legacy of excellence. “I’m not sure people realize how highly regarded Summit and Sandra Adams are in the larger educational community,” he says. “Summit’s future is very bright with a strong Board, a dedicated and talented staff and parents who are willing to contribute so much. It is a winning combination.”