Verne Orr was born on November 12, 1916 in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up in the Midwest, then moved with his family to California just prior to entering high school. He graduated from Pomona College in 1937 where he was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa key. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University in 1939. Orr served in the United States Navy during World War II. In April 1942, he was called to active duty in the Navy Supply Corps. During the course of the war, Orr served in both the American and Pacific theaters of operations. He reached the rank of lieutenant prior to being released from active duty in November 1945. Orr continued to serve in the Navy Reserve until 1951 when he was honorably discharged as a lieutenant commander.
Business and public service
Following his release from active duty, Orr began working at his father's new car dealership in Pasadena, California, eventually becoming a partner in the business. Orr was active in the auto dealership from 1946 until 1962. However, Orr began shifting his interests into his family's investment business around 1960. In 1963, he became president of Investors Savings and Loan of Pasadena, serving in that position until 1966. and Air Force Chief of Staff General Lew Allen and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Robert C. Mathis at Bolling Air Force Base on May 28, 1982. In 1966, California's governor, Ronald Reagan, selected Orr to be the director of the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. He held that position until 1969. He then served briefly as the state's director of General Services before becoming California's Director of Finance in 1970, a position he held until 1975. From 1975 to 1980, Orr taught government finance at the University of Southern California's graduate school of public administration from 1975 until 1980. In 1977, California Governor Jerry Brown named him to the University of California's Board of Regents. In 1980, Orr served on Ronald Reagan's Presidential campaign committee. After Reagan was elected President, Orr became deputy director the President-elect's transition office. President Reagan appointed him Secretary of the Air Force in 1981. As the Air Force Secretary, Orr worked well with Air Force Chief of Staff Charles A. Gabriel. Together they secured major budget increases for the United States Air Force, taking care of Air Force personnel and modernizing the Services's force structure. Orr served for five years, leaving the Air Force in 1985. After his Air Force service, Orr returned to Pasadena where he became a partner in Smith Orr & Associates, a planning and management consulting firm. In 1999, Orr accepted the position of dean at the University of La Verne's School of Business and International Studies. He served as dean the university until June 2002 when he retired as dean emeritus. In 2005, after working on his dissertation for 14 years, Orr was award a doctor of philosophy degree in politics and public policy from Claremont Graduate University. At the time, he was 88 years old. His doctoral dissertation was on the development of the B-1 bomber, a system he helped to procure as Secretary of the Air Force.
