Eugene Moye has never let obstacles keep him down long. Confronted by an "invisible but definite wall" in race relations growing up in Greenwich, he then served in the Pacific during World War II in the segregated US Army. At college on the GI Bill, he found a more progressive environment, and met his wife. When he applied for a teaching job in town, he was advised by a school official to "go to an Indian reservation and teach." Instead, he persevered and joined the Greenwich Police Department as its first African American officer. But lack of promotion, despite his qualifications and education, and the cold shoulder from some colleagues characterized his years there. In 1971, he became a social studies teacher at Western Junior High, retiring as a beloved and respected member of the Greenwich community.
The Friends of the Cos Cob Library will celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Moye on Saturday, April 18, 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Cos Cob Library. Moye and his wife, Rusty, are longtime library volunteers.
Soldier, Policeman, Teacher is the 135th book published by the Oral History Project, sponsored by the Friends of Greenwich Library, since its founding in 1973. The interview with Mr. Moye is one of more than 800 interviews recalling the history of the Town of Greenwich since the 1890s. Oral History books circulate at all town libraries, and interview CDs, transcripts, and books may be purchased at the Oral History Project office. For more information, call 203-622-7945.
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