Background
Orr, Douglas William was born on March 25, 1892 in Meriden, Connecticut, United States. Son of Adam and Mary (Blair) Orr.
Orr, Douglas William was born on March 25, 1892 in Meriden, Connecticut, United States. Son of Adam and Mary (Blair) Orr.
After receiving his undergraduate degree from Yale University, Orr opened his architectural practice in 1919. He completed a master"s degree in fine arts at Yale in 1927, where he designed the Taft Memorial Tower, and Harkness Memorial Hall.
Born in Meriden, Connecticut, he was prolific and designed many public and commercial buildings, primarily in the New Haven area. He was president of the American Institute of Architects from 1947 to 1949. In 1949, he also helped to renovate the White House.
He died in 1966 in Stony Creek, Connecticut.
His portfolio included many other academic projects, among them buildings at Mountain. Holyoke and Hollins Colleges and memorial chapels at the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies.
Orr worked in art deco and colonial revival as well as more modern styles.
He was a member of the United States. Commission of Fine Arts from 1955 to 1963 (vice chairman 1955-1963), a member of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, the Advisory Commission on Presidential Office Space, and the Smithsonian Art Commission. Orr was also an academician of the American Architectural Foundation, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the National Academy of Design.
Married Helen Merriam Converse, December 22, 1917.