Collection #

M 0506,

BV 2496,

OM 0282

 

 

LAWRENCE F. ORR
Family PAPERS, 1890–1983 (bulk 1890–1965)

Collection Information

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Series Contents

Cataloging Information

 

Processed by

Ellen Swain
7 August 1992

Revised by Glenn McMullen
24 September 2002

Updated by Emily Comstock

7 July 2005

 

 Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

 

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF
COLLECTION:

1 manuscript box, 1 bound volume, 7 oversize manuscript folders, 2 boxes of photographs, 1 box oversize photographs, 1 color photograph, 2 artifacts

COLLECTION
DATES:

1890–1983 (bulk 1890–1965)

PROVENANCE:

Mrs. Nancy (Orr) Cubel, Indianapolis, Ind., ca. 1981;  Unknown, 24 June 1988

RESTRICTIONS:

None

COPYRIGHT:

Held by Indiana Historical Society

REPRODUCTION
RIGHTS:

Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.

ALTERNATE
FORMATS:

 

RELATED
HOLDINGS:

 

ACCESSION
NUMBER:

1987.0391 (bound volume, photographs); 1988.0538 (speeches, letters, genealogies, wooden shack photographs)

NOTES:

 

BIOGRAPHiCAL SKETCH

Lawrence F. Orr was born on 1 June 1881 in Columbus, Indiana.  After attending Columbus High School and Butler University, he took a job in the First National Bank of Columbus.  Orr began his political career in 1905 when he was elected city clerk of his home town.  He filled this post until 1909. 

Orr was also secretary of the Bartholomew County Republican Committee and chairman of the Republican City Committee of Columbus.  He entered the state's political arena as a field examiner for the State Accounts Board.  He was soon made a deputy chief examiner and then promoted to chief examiner.  He held the post of chief examiner for ten years before he was demoted to his former post as deputy with the Democratic takeover of the state administration.

During his twenty-three years with the Accounts Board, Orr was able to set up a uniform system of accounts and records for public offices. He also standardized state and local budget forms which greatly aided field examiners. 

In 1932, Lawrence F. Orr ran for the Republican nomination for the office of governor of Indiana.  His platform strongly advocated the repeal of the eighteenth amendment to relieve the financial condition brought about by the Depression.  When he did not receive the nomination, he returned to his former position.  His work for the State Accounts Board was terminated by his death at age 53 in 1935.

 

Source:  Materials in the collection

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Orr family papers include letters, speeches, photographs, and genealogies pertaining to Lawrence F. Orr and to seven Indiana families related to him.  Family members with materials include Orr's wife, Ethel (Fix) Orr; his sister, Ella M. Orr; and his children: Henrietta, John L., and Harriett Orr.  Also included is material relating to the family of John L. Orr's wife, Faye (Hunt) Orr.

Lawrence F. Orr's papers include his law and accounting certificates (1915–35), stored in oversize folders (OM 0282). Speeches and news releases (1930–35) relate to Orr's work with the State Accounts Board.  Many of Orr's speeches discuss the tax plans he sought to implement in Indiana, while the commentaries voice public support of his ideas. 

Correspondence between Ethel Fix and her father W.A. Fix, spanning the period 1898 to 1935, are mainly queries about family affairs from the estranged W.A. Fix.  Ella M. Orr's correspondence and papers, dating from 1927–1936, largely discuss family issues and history.  A third folder of letters and memorabilia contains miscellaneous items, such as graduation programs and obituaries.

Genealogies, incomplete in nature, are of the Orr, Bowman, Dillman/Fix, Hunt, Moor, and Longnecker families.  Other items include John L. Orr's baby book (1912) and an article about the art of hair wreaths (1983) written by Nancy J. Cubel, John L. Orr's daughter and donor of the collection.  A family scrapbook (1902–35) is stored in an oversize folder (OM 0282).

Additional items include Ethel Fix Orr's expense book, 1936–41 (BV 2496), and seven Orr family seals impressed on gold, red, and brown sealing wax on two sheets of paper (R1172 and R1173).  On the reverse of the first is a portrait of M. Bert Thurman, candidate for the Republican nomination for the governor of Indiana.

Photographs include images of Lawrence F. Orr, Ethel (Fix) Orr, the three Orr children, and John L. Orr's family.  Four folders (Hunt/Wisby) contain photographs of the family of Faye (Hunt) Orr.  Another folder includes two photographs of an unidentified wooden shack and one photograph of an unknown man, possibly a Civil War soldier.  There are images of Ethel (Fix) Orr's mother's family (Dillman/Moore), a photograph of Indiana governor Branch, and nine oversize folders of Hunt, Fix, and Orr family photographs.

series CONTENTS

Series 1: Lawrence F. Orr Papers, 1915–35

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Certified Public Accountant certificate, 1915

OM 0282, Folder 1

Law degree Diploma, 1930

OM 0282, Folder 2

Attorney’s Certificate, 1930

OM 0282, Folder 3

District Court Certificate, 1930

OM 0282, Folder 4

Member of the Bar Certificate, 1930

OM 0282, Folder 5

Indiana Association of Certified Public Accountants Membership Certificate, 1935

OM 0282, Folder 6

Speeches and News Releases of Lawrence F. Orr, 1930–34

Box 1, Folder 1

Speeches and News Releases of Lawrence F. Orr, 1934–35

Box 1, Folder 2

Series 2: Family Correspondence,1890–1965

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Ethel Fix Orr Correspondence, 1898–1935

Box 1, Folder 3

Ella M. Orr Correspondence and Papers, 1927–36

Box 1, Folder 4

General Letters and Memorabilia, 1890–1965

Box 1, Folder 5

Series 3: Genealogical and Other Papers and Artifacts, 1902–83

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Orr Family Genealogy

Box 1, Folder 6

Bowman Genealogy and Papers

Box 1, Folder 7

Dillman/Fix Genealogy and Papers

Box 1, Folder 8

Hunt Papers

Box 1, Folder 9

History of Robert Moor and his Family, circa 1930

Box 1, Folder 10

Longnecker Family History

Box 1, Folder 11

John Lawrence Orr Baby Book, 1912

Box 1, Folder 12

Hair Wreath Article, 1983

Box 1, Folder 13

Orr Family Seals (sealing wax on two sheets of paper)

Artifacts: R1172–1173

Ethel Fix Orr Expense Book, 1936–41

BV 2496

Family Scrapbook, 1902–35

OM 0282, Folder 7

Series 4: Photographs

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Lawrence F. Orr

Visual Collections: Photographs,

Box 1, Folder 1

Lawrence F. Orr

Visual Collections:

OVB Photographs,

Box 1, Folder 1

Group photograph including Lawrence F. Orr, Laura Fix, and Ethel Orr, et. al.

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 2

Group photograph with Lawrence F. Orr and George Pence

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 3

Lawrence F. Orr Children

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 2

Ethel (Fix) Orr

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 3

Ethel (Fix) Orr

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 4

Ethel (Fix) Orr and Children

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 5

Orr Children

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 6

Orr Children

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 7

John L. Orr Family

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 4

Orr/Pence Family

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 5

Fix Family

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 6

Fix Family

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 8

Hunt/Wisby Family (1 of 4)

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 7

Hunt/Wisby Family (2 of 4)

 

 

Hunt/Wisby Family (3 of 4)

 

Hunt/Wisby Family (4 of 4)

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 8

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 9

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 10

Home of Matilda Hunt, circa 1907–08

Visual Collections:
OVB Photographs,
Box 1, Folder 9

Dillman/Moor Family, Governor Branch

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 1

Wooden Shack; Unknown Man

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 2

Photograph of Hair Wreath

Visual Collections:
Color Photographs,
Folder 1

 

 

Andrew McFadden (ca. 1865); Matt Wisby; Henrrietta and John Orr; Unidentified woman; Hunt, Vandiver men; Aunt Grace Moore; Unidentified man

Visual Collections: Photographs,
Box 2, Folder 3

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1.      Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: 
http://opac.indianahistory.org/

2.      Click on the "Basic Search" icon.

3.      Select  "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.

4.      Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0506).

5.      When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.