Oscar’s Vision Therapy Fund

This campaign is to raise funds for Oscar Moore, who needs vision therapy. He has lost the sight in his left eye and only has 5% vision in the right eye.

With the money, Oscar will be able to enroll in a restore vision program. This treatment hopefully will improve his eyesight and he will have a better quality of life. The fund will cover the cost of vision therapy and three trips from New Jersey to Florida for treatment in a one-year span.

Oscar started the men’s track and field program at Glassboro State College, now Rowan University (NJ), in 1971. The Profs competed at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships for 20 straight years and they captured five consecutive national titles from 1980-84. The team also took second place in 1978 and 1979.

His teams won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship 19 straight years. He produced over 130 All-Americans and 24 NCAA individual champions. Oscar was named the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year five times (1980-84).

Oscar was also head coach of the women’s track and field team for seven years beginning in 1986. The women won their first NJAC title in 1992. With his guidance, several women competed at the NCAA Division III Championships, 17 earned All-America and four received All-East honors. Oscar also served as the assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country teams from 1971-92.

He was a track competitor since his senior year in high school. Oscar competed for the New York Pioneers Club from 1961-63. He ran for the U.S. in the 5,000 meters at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Oscar also competed for the U.S. vs. Russia (1963) and vs. British Commonwealth Games (1963). He ran at the 1964 National AAU Championships and finished third in the 10,000 meters and sixth in the 5,000 meters.

Oscar earned his bachelor’s degree (1968) in recreation and his master’s (1970) at Southern Illinois University. He went to SIU after four years in the Marines (1956-60). He still holds the school record in the indoor 3,000 meters (7:59.98) and 5,000 meters (13:51.20) and the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:51.20). He is fifth all-time in the 10,000 meters (29:27.77). During his career, he set new Drake, Kansas, Texas and Florida Relay marks and earned All-America honors six times. He ran the two, three and six mile events, in addition to the 5,000 meters. Oscar won NCAA titles in 1967 and ran the third fastest three mile ever indoors, an astonishing feat considering SIU’s lack of an indoor training facility. He was captain of the SIU track team for three years. He lettered three times in track and twice in cross country.

At Rowan, Oscar was an assistant professor in the health and exercise department for 33 years and retired in 2003. He is a member of the Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame, Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame and Rowan University-Glassboro State College Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition, he was inducted into the NCAA Division III Track and Field, U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fames. His awards have included Runners World, 1984 and 1985 College All-Star Team; Sports Illustrated, 1984 Faces in the Crowd; Philadelphia Sportswriters, 1984 Coaches Award; and New Jersey Sports Writers, 1984 Coaches Award. He was listed in the 1985 Who’s Who in Black America.