| Editors note: This is the second in a two-part series.
Both personally and politically, successful Texas rancher and long-time Richmond Mayor Hilmar Moore makes a decision when he has as much information as he believes he's going to get.
That frank brusqueness of a man who always offers a tip of his cap and a brisk “good morning” can be a surprise to those initially meeting Moore, but the 87-year-old said his father reminded him of the responsibilities of the mayor's position.
At the time, Moore had been mayor a short amount of time, and he'd often tell people who disagreed with him to “go to hell.”
“My father called me in and said ‘Where do you get that? Look, you asked to represent the people, and that means every single resident in Richmond. You're working for them; they're not working for you, and they're entitled to a better answer,'” Moore recalled recently.
The young Moore has never forgotten his father's political advice, and it has served him well as Moore is believed to be the longest-serving mayor in the United States. Beginning Sept. 22, 1949, with filling an unexpired two-year term left vacant by Mayor Wilbert Lee “Bert” Ansel, Moore was elected mayor in 1950 and has held the position since.
Personal battles
In a career that spans more than 58 years, Moore has survived political skirmishes, but some of the most difficult battles in his life have been personal, and those required determination and grit to overcome.
As a young boy, Moore said he never liked to read. Later in life, Moore realized he was dyslexic, and even though he still dislikes reading, he loves information and is not likely to forget what he learns. After a bout with polio at the age of 31, Moore said he quit therapy as soon as he could do the things he wanted to do.
Moore has survived having both rotator cuffs repaired, the result of years of working a cutting gate on his cattle ranch. He also has limited movement of his neck after being thrown from a horse.
In 1991, Moore received a severe blow - he was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue.
“When they said they were going to have to take my tongue, I said, ‘Doc, take my heart, not my tongue. I can't do without my tongue, as much as I like to talk,'” Moore said.
Doctors removed part of his tongue, and the recovery was difficult. He couldn't speak for months, and he still has to eat slowly. Although Moore laughs and claims he's going to live forever, cancer's ghost lingers, especially when he has an odd pain.
His first wife, Kelley, passed away in 1982, and his son, Phillip, perished in an automobile accident. Moore fractured three vertebrae and received sutures from a bad fall a few years ago. He's been thrown and kicked by horses and ridden in the cold, heat, wind and rain.
‘Put up a good front'
What helped is remembering an invaluable lesson he learned about life when he was 16 years old. At the time, Moore met a professional gambler who told him to never play the other man's game and, when opportunity knocks, open the door.
“I'm going to see that opportunity and take it. He also told me to put up a good front because no one wants to be around a loser or someone who's down,” Moore said, advice he's heeded for more than 70 years.
Although he enjoys a comfortable living, Moore said the most important thing in life can't be bought - having a good name in the community.
He believes in keeping his word and, if he can't, he readily admits why - No double talk, no blaming someone else. Moore said he takes full responsibility for his actions and decisions.
He freely calls himself an egotist, one who enjoys being on the cutting edge of current events and expressing his opinion no matter the cost.
His creed is simple: “If you're not willing to improve the situation, then you might as well keep your mouth shut.”
Moore cuts to the heart of a situation, makes a decision, and then lives with those decisions. But instead of regrets, he said he has been bestowed with many blessings.
“It's been an outstanding life, and I've received more than I deserve,” he said. “I've had the freedom to do what I wanted to do, within reason.”
Moore and his wife of 24 years, Evalyn, are best friends. Moore has three sons - Hilmar, Jack and Phillip, who passed away in 1977 - along with eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and another great-grandchild expected this month. Moore unabashedly brags about his family, and paternal pride is evident in his sharp, brown eyes.
Obliged to the people
Moore calls himself a realist who's never seen a “Star Wars” movie. Real life is his interest, and he believes there's too much violence in today's movies and television shows. He saw his share of hostility in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was an eyewitness to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. He reached the rank of first lieutenant and received the air medal with two oak clusters and the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with four battle stars.
Although some politicians like to dance around the room with double talk and insincere promises, Moore gets right to the point and says what he thinks. It disturbs him, for example, that “New York money elects people in California and California money elects people in Texas.”
“When they get to office, they feel obligated to the people that got them there rather than the people they've been asked to represent,” Moore observed.
He said he firmly believes the obligation of a politician is to the people, not the other way around. A believer in getting things done, he said he's proud that Richmond city meetings have never surpassed two hours. Moore comes prepared and doesn't skirt the issues - he's forthright and blunt.
“I make decisions,” Moore said. “You can talk yourself out of a lot of good decisions if you think about it long enough.”
Few Regrets
He's had disappointments - personal friends like former Texas Gov. John Connally, a college friend who let him down - and he seldom gives people a second chance.
Moore said he is a teetotaler who's never had a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. When he was a young teen, his father told him he'd be better off if he didn't drink, and the son followed his father's advice.
A man of scant regrets, the only activity Moore said he misses is riding a horse - something he no longer does because the jarring motion is too painful. His said his greatest personal satisfaction is having a loving family, but he wishes he'd spent more time with his sons when they were young.
Having respect in the community and counting his employees as friends are some of the most rewarding aspects of his professional career. Knowing Richmond has retained its charm while growing is a source of deep satisfaction.
Moore believes every day is a good day. He shrugs off the suggestion of him being a “legend,” saying he simply had the freedom to do what he wanted to do. He feels fortunate he's had a comfortable living and he's been able to physically and financially help people over the years.
Some of the most rewarding aspects to his life have come through his tenure as mayor.
“I can say, 58 to 59 years later, it's been a wonderful experience,” Moore said.
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