John William Moore was born in Jud, North Dakota in 1901. He earned his bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University in 1924. He earned his master's and Ph.D. degrees in botany from the University of Minnesota in 1925 and 1933, respectively. After teaching in public schools in Iowa and Wisconsin, Dr. Moore became a professor of botany at the University of Minnesota.
From the guide to the John W. Moore papers, 1902-1968, (University of Minnesota Libraries. Universityof Minnesota Archives [uarc])