John Bassett Moore was born in Smyrna, Delaware, on December 3, 1860. Moore was an attorney who served as a third assistant secretary of state (1886-1891), as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State (1898), as counselor for the state department (1913-1914), and as judge of the Permanent Court of International Justice (1922-1928). He died in New York City on November 12, 1947.