Lee Orr

Lee Orr was born in Canada but his family moved to Monroe, Washington when he was a small child. He starred in track, football, and tennis at Monroe Union High School, where he earned three state titles in the 220 yard dash (1933-35). He then attended Washington State University, where he played freshman football and sprinted on the track team, winning eight Pacific Coast Northern Division titles. He was selected to represent Canada at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but had to rely on financial help from the British Columbia Track and Field Association. At the Games, he was eliminated in round one of the 100 metres, and placed fifth in the 200 metres and the 4x100 metres relay, in the latter alongside Sam Richardson, Bruce Humber, and Howie McPhee.

At the 1938 British Empire Games Orr anchored the gold-medal winning 4×440 yards team (with Johnny Loaring, Bill Fritz, and the non-Olympian Bill Dale), and competed in the open 440 yards, losing out in the heats. After the Berlin Olympics, he graduated from University in 1940 and returned to Germany as a member of the US Army during World War II. Near the end of the war, he competed in military competitions in football and track. Orr settled in the Midwestern US where he worked for the Hormel Meat Company for 40 years before retiring and returning to Monroe.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.5 (1936); 200 – 21.2 (1939).