Samuel Orr | |
|---|---|
 Orr in 1920 | |
| New York City Magistrate | |
| In office January 1, 1942 – June 30, 1952 | |
| Appointed by | Fiorello La Guardia |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas F. Delagi |
| Special DeputyNew York City Comptroller | |
| In office January 1, 1938 – December 31, 1941 | |
| Appointed by | Joseph McGoldrick |
| Succeeded by | George Marlin |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 4thBronx district | |
| In office January 1, 1921 – December 31, 1921 | |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Louis A. Schoffel |
| In office September 16, 1920 – September 21, 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| In office January 1, 1920 – April 1, 1920 | |
| Preceded by | M. Maldwin Fertig |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| In office January 1, 1918 – December 31, 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | M. Maldwin Fertig |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1890-07-11)July 11, 1890 Rajgród,Congress Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | August 29, 1981(1981-08-29) (aged 91) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Socialist(before 1936) American Labor(1936–1944) Liberal(after 1944) Democratic(1960s) |
| Education | New York University School of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician, judge |
| Known for | Expulsion from the New York State Assembly |
Samuel Orr (July 11, 1890 – August 29, 1981) was aPolish-Americansocialistpolitician fromNew York City best remembered for being one of the five elected members of theSocialist Party of America expelled by theNew York State Assembly during theFirst Red Scare in 1920.[1]
Orr was born on July 11, 1890, in the town ofRajgród, then a part ofRussian-occupied Poland.[2] His family moved to theUnited States in 1891. Orr graduated from theNew York University School of Law and practiced law, including time at the firm ofBenjamin N. Cardozo andNathan Bijur.
In November 1917, Orr was elected on the Socialist ticket to theNew York State Assembly (Bronx Co., 4th D.), and sat in the141st New York State Legislature, being one of 10 members of the Socialist Party which were elected to the Assembly of 1918, the high-water mark of the party's fortunes in the state.
In November 1919, Orr was re-elected to the Assembly, but on the first day of the session of the143rd New York State Legislature he was called before theSpeaker along with four of his Socialist colleagues —Louis Waldman,Charles Solomon,Samuel A. DeWitt, andAugust Claessens. The five were charged with being unfit for membership in the Assembly through their membership in the Socialist Party and were suspended from their seats by a vote of 140 to 6.[3]
A protracted political trial before the Assembly Committee on the Judiciary followed to determine the fitness of the five Socialists to take their seats, which ran throughout the winter and spring. The so-called "trial" began on January 20, 1920.[4]Morris Hillquit andSeymour Stedman were the lead attorneys in handling the case for the Socialist defendants. The group was formally expelled on April 1, 1920. All five were re-elected at a special election on September 16, and appeared to take their seats at the beginning of the special session on September 20. The next day, Orr and DeWitt were permitted to take their seats, but Claessens, Solomon and Waldman were expelled again. Protesting against the re-expulsion of their comrades, DeWitt and Orr resigned their seats.
Samuel Orr was re-elected to the State Assembly in November 1920, and tookInfobox personhis seat in the144th New York State Legislature for the session of 1921.
In 1922, Orr ran in the 22nd District for theNew York State Senate, but lost. He ran again in 1928 in the same district, without success. In 1933, he ran in the 21st District, and lost once again.
Orr ran forCongress inNew York's 23rd congressional district in 1926, 1930 and 1934 on the Socialist ticket, but lost each time. He was once again a candidate in 1938 on theAmerican Labor Party ticket, but was ultimately replaced for the nomination.
Orr was appointed Special DeputyNew York City Comptroller in 1938,[5] serving through 1941.[6] He was appointed a city magistrate by MayorFiorello La Guardia in 1942,[7] serving for 10 years until his retirement.[8] He was an unsuccessful candidate for Bronx County Judge in 1943.
Orr was theLiberal candidate for Bronx County Judge in 1953, coming in second place with 25% of the vote,[9] and forBronx County District Attorney in 1955, coming in third place with 13% of the vote.[10]
In 1962, Orr was appointed chairman of the Senior Citizens Committee of theNew York State Democratic Campaign Committee ahead ofthat year's elections.[11]
Samuel Orr died atMontefiore Hospital inthe Bronx on August 29, 1981.[1]
Media related toSamuel Orr at Wikimedia Commons| New York State Assembly | ||
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| Preceded by new district | New York State Assembly Bronx County, 4th District 1918 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | New York State Assembly Bronx County, 4th District 1920–1921 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| Other | |
