John B. Orr Jr. ( – July 25, 1974) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and as the Mayor of Metropolitan Dade County from 1972 to 1974.

Background

Orr earned a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

from the

Fredric G. Levin College of Law The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF Law) is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida, and second oldest overall ...

at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. In 1954, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. During his tenure in the House, Orr was the only member who voted against school segregation in 1956. He was defeated for re-election in 1958. Orr was a mentor to

Janet Reno Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general. She held the position from 1993 to 2001, making her the second-longest serving attorney general, behind only Wi ...

during her early career in Miami-Dade County politics. In 1972, Orr was elected the third mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Orr died of cancer in 1974 and was succeeded by Stephen P. Clark. Orr is the namesake of the Jack Orr Plaza in front of the Main Library and the Jack Orr Plaza Apartments, a public housing complex.

References

1920s births 1974 deaths Mayors of Miami-Dade County, Florida Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Politicians from Miami People from Miami-Dade County, Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni University of Florida alumni 20th-century American politicians {{Florida-politician-stub