# Ed Moore

**Ed Moore** (Edward Peerman Moore; 20 October 1897 – 9 February 1968) was an American rower and naval officer who won a gold medal in the men's eights at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp and later retired from the [United States Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-navy) as a rear admiral.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Edward Peerman "Ed" Moore<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |
| Born / died | 20 October 1897, Ringgold, Virginia; 9 February 1968, Middleburg, Virginia<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |
| Olympic result | Gold, men's eights, 1920 Antwerp; final won on 29 August 1920 in 6:05.0<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |
| Affiliation | US Naval Academy, Annapolis; graduated 1921<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |
| Measurements | 185 cm / 81 kg<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |
| Naval career | Chief of staff to the commander of the Pacific Task Force in World War II; Legion of Merit and two Presidential Unit Citations; retired as rear admiral in 1945<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> |

## Rowing career

Moore took up rowing late. According to his Olympedia biography, he had never sat in a shell before the Olympic year of 1920, and a few weeks before the 1920 Olympic Trials he was only a junior varsity oarsman at the [Naval Academy](https://www.edgepedia.org/naval-academy). He improved rapidly through hard work and was moved to the first boat for the Henley Regatta, and the midshipmen elected him captain of the crew team for the following year.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> An earlier American Olympic Committee account gives a slightly different picture of his start, stating that he rowed No. 5 in the plebe boat in 1919 but, because of his extraordinary strength and endurance, was taught to row on the port side and made stroke of the varsity.<sup>[2](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/unitedstatesolym00unit/unitedstatesolym00unit.pdf)</sup>

The Naval Academy eight represented the United States at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. The winning time in the final round on 29 August 1920 was 6:05.0.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup> Moore also played football at Annapolis before his graduation in 1921.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup>

## Naval career

After graduating from the Academy in 1921, Moore began a career as a naval officer. In World War II he served as chief of staff to the commander of the Pacific Task Force, and for his service he was awarded the [Legion of Merit](https://www.edgepedia.org/legion-of-merit) and two Presidential Unit Citations. He retired in 1945 with the rank of rear admiral.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)</sup>

## References

1. [Ed Moore, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/40800)
2. [American Olympic Committee, report (Library of Congress scan)](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/public/gdcmassbookdig/unitedstatesolym00unit/unitedstatesolym00unit.pdf)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › American and Canadian rowers › American Olympic rowers (early era)*

*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license