Franklin Orth
| Franklin Lewis Orth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1907 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | January 4, 1970 (aged 62–63) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Occupation | Attorney, non-profit organization executive |
| Known for | executive vice president of the National Rifle Association president of United States Olympic Committee |
Franklin Lewis Orth (1907 – January 4, 1970) was Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA) from 1959 until his death. In the 1960s, Orth was influential during debates on gun control in the United States. Orth also served as President of the United States Olympic Committee from April 1969 until his death.
Orth was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1928 and a law degree the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1931. Orth served as an officer in the United States Army during World War II, rising to the rank of Colonel. Orth served on the staff of General Frank Merrill, whose unit, popularly known as Merrill's Marauders, was famous for its operations in the jungles of Burma.
After the war, Orth worked for the Federal government, serving in positions at the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Office of Price Stabilization. He later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army.
In 1959, Orth accepted a position at the National Rifle Association, where he would remain for the rest of his life. At that time, the NRA was largely apolitical and primarily concerned with promoting marksmanship and recreational shooting. During Orth's tenure, the organization would take on a more active role in legislative debates in response to calls for new, more expansive gun control legislation amidst the political violence of the 1960s. This included the assassinations of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968.
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