Former Air Force Secretary Dies At 92
Verne Orr, the fourteenth secretary
of the Air Force, died Nov. 27 at age 92 in his home in Pasadena,
Calif. He served under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to
1985.
"Former Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr was a leader and a
professional committed to the United States Air Force and our
nation during a crucial period of change," said current Secretary
of the Air Force Michael Donley. "Although he served during a time
of increased defense spending and modernization, he will be
remembered most for his deep commitment to our Airmen and their
families. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends
as they mourn the loss of their loved one."
Before becoming secretary of the Air Force, he taught government
finance courses at the University of Southern California Graduate
School of Public Administration from 1975 to 1980. He later served
on the Reagan Presidential Campaign Committee and was deputy
director of the office of the president-elect during the
transition.
Secretary Orr was born in 1916 in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up
in the Midwest and moved to California with his family about the
time he entered high school. He graduated from Pomona College in
California with a bachelor of arts degree in 1937 and earned his
master's degree in business administration from Stanford University
Graduate School of Business in 1939.
Secretary Orr served as an ensign in the supply corps of the
U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1951. During World War II, he
served in both the American and Pacific theaters of operations. He
was released from active duty as a lieutenant in November 1945, and
was honorably discharged from the Naval Reserve as a lieutenant
commander in 1951.
Following his military service, Secretary Orr held positions in
both the civilian and government sectors. He served as president of
Investors Savings and Loan in Pasadena, and director of motor
vehicles in California under then-Governor Ronald Reagan. He also
served briefly as the state's director of general services, and in
January 1970 he began a five-year term as California's director of
finance.
Secretary Orr's civic activities included president of the
Pasadena Merchants Association, president of the Kiwanis Club of
Pasadena, president of the Family Services Association of Pasadena,
president of the United Way of Los Angeles County and foreman of
the Los Angeles County Grand Jury. California Governor Jerry Brown
named him a regent of the University of California in 1977.
He was honored as Phi Beta Kappa, Salvation Army Man of the Year
in Pasadena for 1970, and was an honorary member of the Pasadena
Chamber of Commerce, Pasadena Kiwanis Club, Pasadena Rotary Club
and Pasadena University Club.
An annual Air Force award is named for Secretary Orr that
recognizes an active-duty or Reserve Air Force unit that makes the
most effective use of its human resources. There also is an Air
Force spouse award named for his first wife, Joan Orr, which
recognizes spouses who have made significant contributions to the
Air Force. She died in 1988.
Secretary Orr leaves behind his wife Sarah Smith Orr, two
children, two stepchildren and two grandchildren. A memorial
service for Secretary Orr will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at the
First United Methodist Church in Pasadena.