Date:  ca. 2009

Image Number:  JohnFitzallenMoore_2009

Comments:  John Fitzallen Moore (February 23, 1928 - January 31, 2018) was an American physicist, the son of authors, Virginia Moore and Louis Untermeyer.  Born John Moore Untermeyer, his name was legally changed after his parents' divorce in 1929, as Virginia's father had no male heir.  Virginia Moore legally changed her son's name to John Fitzallen Moore, II, after her divorce in 1929.  Cliffside in Scottsville was always home for Virginia and her son, John Fitzallen Moore, II.

John Fitzallen Moore, II, attended schools in Scottsville, Virginia, and High Mowing School in Wilton, New Hampshire.  John received a B.S. in nuclear physics from MIT in three years (where he and Walter Marvin, Jr., founded the Tech Model Railroad Club in 1946), and won a National Science Foundation fellowship that led to a M.S. in solid-state physics from Harvard's School of Applied Science.  He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Columbia University with a thesis proving experimentally the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide on the spacecraft-observed temperature of over 460 degrees C (860 degrees F).

John's first full-time employment was at Raytheon in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he worked on radar and telemetry.  At Hycon Eastern (Cambridge, Massachusetts; later acquired by Northrop), he moved from classified missile technology to become Systems Manager of a communications design office in Bangkok, Thailand.  On his return, he again worked in aircraft and missile telemetry as Director of Research and Engineering at ASCOP (Princeton, New Jersey; later a division of EMR/Schlumberger).

In 1960, John joined Lockheed Electronics in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he advanced from Manager of Operations Analysis to Scientific Advisor to President, while contributing to "moon-bounce" communications systems and optical signal processors, and creating an infrared laboratory and corporate acquisition analysis.  While there, he was appointed to the Lockheed Corporate Research Council and also attended Columbia University in New York half-time.

After receiving his doctorate from Columbia University, Moore created new designs in spectroscopy and fluorometry as Director of Product Development at Spex Industries in Metuchen, New Jersey.  In 1976, he joined EMI Medical, the inventor of X-ray scanning, in Northbrook, Illinois.  There he advanced to Vice- President of Engineering, and built the team that created the first CT scanner to take a picture in under 3 seconds.  When EMI got out of the medical electronics business, he founded Bio-Imaging Research (Lincolnshire, Illinois).  Initially, BIR created the world's first one-second CT scanner for Toshiba, and then branched into MRI, ultrasound, and industrial x-ray scanners, including the megavolt x-ray systems that inspect trucks and cargo containers at ports and border crossings.  He was awarded the Chicago Area High-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year in 1987 and 1989.  In 2006, he sold BIR's medical division to Toshiba Medical, and in 2007 sold its industrial and security divisions to Varian Medical Systems.

John Fitzallen Moore had five children (Robin, Sheila, Marjorie, Deborah, and Laurel) by his first marriage in 1948 to Joan Elizabeth Sanders (1929-1998), and two children (Jonathan M. Moore and Cris Moore) by his second marriage in 1963 to Betty-Ann Jorgensen (1938- ).  He collected original-cast musical comedy recordings and license plates, and his other interests included N-scale model railroading, mathematical games, and science fiction. 

John Moore was a strong supporter of Scottsville Museum and donated the plaque the Museum has on display honoring his mother, Virginia Moore, as a founder of the Scottsville Museum.

On January 31, 2018, John Fitzallen Moore passed away on January 31, 2018, at the age of 89.  Following is John's obituary published in the Daily Herald on 09 February 2018:

The family of Lake County entrepreneur and physicist, John Fitzallen Moore, is sad to report his death on January 31, 2018, at the age of 89.  Born John Moore Untermeyer on February 23, 1928, in London, England, to American poets, Louis Untermeyer and Virginia Moore, he was renamed after his parents' divorce.  A resident of Illinois since 1976, first in Lake Bluff and then in Libertyville, he is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Betty-Ann (Jorgensen) Moore; loving children, Laurel Moore (Michael White), Marjorie (John) Fish, Sheila (James) Kaplan, Cristopher Moore (Tracy Conrad), and Jonathan Moore; 12 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.  He is also survived by his brother, Laurence Untermeyer; sister-in-law, Jean Jorgensen, and loving nieces and nephews.  His daughter, Deborah, and son, Robin, predeceased him.  John was captivated by mathematics and the wonders of the world from an early age, and delighted in sharing them, especially with his family.  Growing up in the 1930's in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, and at his mother's home in Scottsville, Virginia, he acquired further interest in the world around him.  After an education at the High Mowing School in New Hampshire, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (where he co-founded the Tech Model Railroad Club), and Harvard University, John applied his talents and interests on innovations ranging from radar telemetry to microwave transmissions and spectroscopy.  He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University with a thesis proving the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide on the surface temperature of the planet Venus.  Work in the field of medical electronics and x-ray products led to his founding Bio-Imaging Research, Inc. (BIR) in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in 1980.  Among many other technologies, BIR devised improvements for computed tomography ("CAT") scanners, making it possible for doctors to obtain higher-quality images with lower doses of radiation.  He held over 20 patents, was named a KPMG Peat Marwick High Tech Entrepreneur of the Year in 1987, and received the Arthur Young Entrepreneur OF The Year award in 1989.  He served as member and Chairman of the U.S. Naval Surface Weapons Board for several years.  He was a member of the scientific honor society, Sigma Xi.  John retired as Chairman of the Board and CEO of BIR in 2007.  His retirement years were filled with continued enthusiasm for family, hobbies, and international travel.  A celebration of his life will be held at a date to be announced.

References: (1) Wikipedia, John Fitzallen Moore (February 23, 1928-January 31, 2018). (2) Daily Herald, "Obituary for John Moore, 1928-2018"; Feb. 9, 2018

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