Power Profile: Dr. John Moseley

Dr. John Moseley is the 21st president in the history of Lincoln University.

Dr. John Moseley credits his success to investing in people, and as president of Lincoln University, he’s committed to continuing that philosophy.

“From the beginning, my career has been built around winning with people, and I believe if you surround yourself with really good people, you give yourself a great opportunity to be successful," said Moseley. "And so, our first priority was ensuring that we took care of our people, which meant our faculty and staff."

Moseley hadn’t started out planning on becoming president of a university and his career in academia came from an unlikely source: a passion for basketball. Originally from North Carolina, Moseley knew from a young age that he wanted to coach basketball.

“By probably seventh grade, I fell in love with the game of basketball. I was smart enough at that age to know that I wanted to play in college, but I knew athletically that there was a ceiling there that wouldn’t take me beyond that,” said Moseley. “So how could I use the game of basketball in ways in which it will expose me to a greater life? And so, I'd say by the seventh or eighth grade, I knew I wanted to coach.”

As an undergrad at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, he began working toward his goal by assisting the head basketball coach and working as a student manager.

“I began wiping up sweat and washing uniforms, nearly daily, just to be a part of a college basketball team. But that opportunity opened tremendous doors for me to meet people, to grow as a person and as a coach and led me to my first coaching opportunity in college basketball at the University of Delaware,” said Moseley.

After his time as an assistant coach at five NCAA Division I schools, Moseley came to Lincoln University to serve as the men's head basketball coach. After his first year, he was asked to serve as the school’s director of athletics, in addition to his coaching duties. For Moseley, his time coaching and working as the athletics director gave him the opportunity to work with every part of Lincoln University, from assisting in the day-to-day lives of student-athletes to working with admissions and student aid to serving on the university’s senior leadership team.

“I personally don't think there's a better way to get to this seat because of your involvement in the day-to-day lives of the student-athletes as a coach. You’re there every step of the way with financial aid, student accounts, class registration, everything,” said Moseley. “And as athletic director, I had a seat at the table. And that table allowed me to really see how the whole university ran together.”

After serving for seven years as head basketball coach, six of which included athletic director duties, Moseley was asked to serve as the interim president of Lincoln University in May of 2021. After a national search, Moseley was named the 21st president of Lincoln University in January of 2022. During his time as president, one of his key goals has been helping faculty and staff thrive." for the part where January was repeated twice.

“We believe that if we take care of our people, our people will take care of our students. And so taking care of our faculty and staff has been a major priority in our first two years, and we were able to provide significant salary increases for many of our faculty and staff,” said Moseley.

Along with salary increases, Lincoln has also joined the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan. This plan provides state employees with health care coverage, and it also covers employees at the University as well.

Lincoln has also seen enrollment increases during Moseley’s time as president, including in programs such as the University Law Enforcement Training Academy (LULETA) which is the first law enforcement training academy at a historically black college or university in the country. Ameren Missouri has been a strong supporter of the project in partnership with Lincoln University.

“Ameren has been a strong partner of this institution for a number of years. Recently, in their support of the University Law Enforcement Training Academy,” said Moseley. “Ameren’s investment in scholarships and equipment for that program lessens the burden for some of our cadets and makes sure that the students have the technical equipment that they need.”

The program has seen a 98% placement rate since its launch, and it highlights Lincoln's efforts to diversify police forces and law enforcement agencies in Missouri and across the Midwest. For Moseley, providing a high-quality education for students, like the one provided through LULETA, is what motivates him as president of the university.

“For me, the story of Lincoln University fits me as a person. It stands for the things that I believe in,” said Mosley. “Our university is the only university in the country that was founded by soldiers who actually fought in the Civil War, at a time in which, just under 160 years ago, it was illegal for Black Americans to be educated in the United States. And we continue the soldier’s mission today to ensure that we're providing an education for all students. We believe that education not only changes the life of the student but changes the life of generations after them.”