Before the Olympics, He Was a Gridiron Legend

With a history spanning over 120 years, Washington State University has had a proud history of athletic excellence in every sport. Though football and basketball capture most of the public’s attention, the track program boasts one of the greatest athletes in school history, who brought fame and national recognition to WSU during the 1930's. Hailing from the small Washington town of Monroe, Lee Orr was not only an All-American in track but also competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Though Orr is still renowned for his athletic ability in track, his skill on the football field is lesser known but was felt during his time. As an All-State halfback in high school, Orr’s talent on the gridiron was unmatched, though it was largely unused during his time at WSC. Despite choosing track over football, Orr’s career in football shows flashes of greatness.

Fig 1. Lee Orr in formation at Monroe, 1934. Courtesy of the Monroe Historical Society

A Rising Star

Lee Pierce Orr was born in 1917 in Saskatchewan, Canada. When Lee was only three years old, his family moved to Monroe, Washington, a small, rural town located in Snohomish county. The Orr’s settled down in Monroe and it was where Lee and his older brother, Jack, spent their childhood and adolescence. At a very young age, Lee began showing his natural athletic prowess. As a sixth grader, Orr won his first trophy in track while competing in the 50 and 100 yard dashes. While he was growing into an extraordinary track athlete, Lee did not limit himself to one sport once he got to Monroe Union High School in 1931. As a freshman, he participated in tennis, track, and football, joining his brother on the varsity football team. The Monroe Bearcats had seen some success in their young program history but were experiencing a decline when Orr joined the team. Though MUHS was a small school and needed every player it could muster, Orr did not see much action during his first season as the team finished with a 3-4 record. Despite being limited to substitutions, Lee earned a letter in football during his freshman year and was seen as a burgeoning talent.[1]

Fig 2. Lee and Jack Orr on the 1931 Monroe Bearcats team. Found in 1932 Monroe Yearbook.

With a year of experience under his belt, Lee was given much more playing time in his sophomore season alongside his older brother Jack. After the first game of the season, Lee was listed as the starting Fullback as Jack was the starting Left End.[2] Though the 1932 season ended as another losing season, the Orr brothers impressed and were bright spots for the team. In a victory against Custer, the local newspaper reported, “Jack and Lee Orr were perhaps the most consistent ground gainers for Monroe and made some beautiful runs all during the game. Both boys indicated real ability in all departments of the game.”[3] Even with another mediocre campaign, the presence of Lee Orr gave Monroe much to look forward to in future seasons. Orr’s rising star was also felt in track as his athletic feats began being noticed. In a Snohomish County track meet, Orr broke a record in sprints and fell just short of breaking another in broad jump. Finishing first in a 100-yard dash, Lee was showing that he was no ordinary athlete, but a generational talent.[4]

Carrying the Team

With the start of the 1933 season, all eyes were on Lee Orr as he had become the undisputed star of the team. The town newspaper, Monroe Monitor, proudly declared, “Coach Sackett will have one of the best men in the county. It is doubtful if a better prospective football candidate ever called for a suit on any Monroe team”. Having little talent to back him up, the success of the team depended completely on Orr, as the Monitor declared, “Around Orr will be molded the Bearcat offense. If he gets off to a good start the whole team of youngsters may follow him and produce a satisfactory season for the local school”.[5] In the opening game against Arlington, Orr quickly stole to show as he dominated on both sides of the football. After scoring a touchdown on a long run, Orr later intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown to seal the victory.[6] Starting off strong, Monroe cruised to victories against Sultan and Marysville, setting themselves firmly within the county title hunt. Though the Bearcats were playing at a high level, cracks began to surface. Orr had suffered a minor injury during the Marysville game and though not serious, it limited his effectiveness during a crucial stretch for the team. Orr attempted to play through the injury against Stanwood but his performance was hampered. The game ended with a 0-0 tie and Orr being sidelined for future games to recover from injury.[7] Without Orr to carry the team, the Bearcats saw their title hopes disappear as the team lost the heart and soul of the offense. 

The next game against Edmonds resulted in another scoreless tie, followed by an upset loss to East Stanwood. Though the Monroe season was effectively over, Orr was able to return for the final game which was against their bitter rivals, the Snohomish Panthers. With Lee fully recovered from injury, he was determined to end his junior season on a high note. Traveling to nearby Snohomish, Monroe was once again dependent on Orr to carry the team. In the second quarter, Lee broke out. “It was a quick dart thru the line with two men leading Halfback Orr, who cut back sharply toward the center of the defense as he broke thru the line. Two nice bits of blocking let him out into the open with not a chance in the world for anyone to lay a hand on him. He sprinted over the goal line standing up.” Orr added another touchdown run to seal a 13-0 victory over Snohomish as Monroe finished with a solid 4-1-2 record.[8] Despite injury sidelining Orr for a portion of the season, the town continued to view Lee as key to Monroe’s success in the future.

Orr's Final Season in Monroe

After a solid but disappointing junior season, expectations for Orr’s senior year were sky high. The excitement surrounding Monroe in 1934 was focused on Lee as well as the new, young head coach Stan Bates. A Monroe alumni and star athlete at the University of Puget Sound, Coach Bates had a deceptively difficult situation during his first season as a coach. Though Orr was a special player, there was little talent behind him to help carry the load. Bates, who later served as WSU’s Athletic Director from 1954 to 1971, would be tested greatly with making the best out of an unbalanced roster.[9] Without a capable supporting cast, the Bearcats started the season with a humbling 14-6 loss against a solid Arlington team. Monroe rebounded the next week with a 28-0 trouncing of Sultan but the offense once again stalled in a scoreless tie against Marysville. This underwhelming start to the season led Coach Bates rearrange the offense as the Monitor stated bluntly, “To date Orr has carried practically the entire offensive threat.”[10] After moving Bud Rodgers to the backfield and rekindling John Danoff, the running backs behind Orr stepped up to revive the offense. As the offense found its identity, Monroe was ready to play at a high level with Lee Orr leading the charge. In a 12-6 victory over Stanwood, Orr threw a touchdown pass as the other Backs helped carry the load.[11] The following week, Bud Rogers and Lee Orr carried the day against Edmonds on a muddy, rain-soaked field, winning 13-0. As observed by the local newspaper, “It was [Rogers’] and Orr’s smashing attack that completely demoralized the opposition and took the fight out of them in the latter part of the first half and late in the fourth quarter.”[12] After routing East Stanwood 32-0, the stage was set for the last game of the season and Lee Orr’s career to be a showdown with the rival Snohomish Panthers.

Fig 3. An article on Orr's final game at Monroe. Found in the Monroe Monitor (11/9/1934).

On a muddy Monroe homefield and in front of many spectators, Orr took centerstage. The Monitor summed up the contest saying, “The whole game was a display of individual ability by the speedy Monroe halfback, who despite a field sloppy with mud, showed the large crowd a football performance they won't soon forget.” Despite facing a larger opponent, the Bearcats were unphased as they employed a trick play for their first score of the game. Bud Rogers took the ball and faked an injury, fooling the Snohomish defense before passing the ball to Orr, who scampered 40 yards for his first touchdown. The next score came when Orr picked off a Snohomish pass and ran 50 yards for another touchdown. Lee’s third and final touchdown came in the fourth quarter when a bad Snohomish punt was caught by Orr and taken back 30 yards for a score. In his final game as a Bearcats, Orr was responsible for every score as Monroe celebrated a 19-7 upset victory, finishing with an excellent 5-1-1 record.[13] Though Orr’s final game as a Bearcat was an incredible farewell from the gridiron, everyone expected even more athletic feats before the end of his high school career. The following May, Orr once again stole the show during the Southwest District Track and Field Meet in Pullman. During the event, Orr was the high point man as he led the scoring for all individual participants, winning the 100 and 220-yard dashes.[14] Capturing the spotlight in Pullman once again, Orr looked to Washington State College as the next stop in his college career.

WSC and the 1936 Olympics

After graduating from Monroe, Orr enrolled at WSC in the fall of 1935. Athletic scholarships were not commonplace at the time so Lee worked as a stockboy in a bookstore, supporting himself with $35 dollars a month.[15] Despite being a renowned star in track, Lee was still interested in making a name for himself in football. Orr was among the 150 other first year players who tried out for the freshmen team, showing himself to be among the fastest players of the group.[16] Unlike his days at Monroe, Lee was surrounded by many other talented players as the freshmen team was widely regarded as one of WSC’s best ever. Alongside fellow stars and letter winners like Cecil Welchko, Orr and the freshmen squad went 4-1 as it regularly routed its opponents.[17] By no means overshadowed by his peers, Orr more than held his own by showing his speed and football talent all season. In the final game of the season against the University of Washington freshmen team, Orr intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown as the Cougars won 14-13.[18] With a successful freshman campaign over, many in Pullman were expecting to see Orr become a part of the varsity team but this was not to be.

Fig 4. Lee Orr pictured with the 1935 WSC Freshmen Team. Found in 1936 Chinook.

With the Berlin Olympics slated for summer 1936, Lee devoted his efforts to track and pushed football to the side. Traveling to Montreal and Vancouver, Lee competed and won a spot on the Canadian team.[19] During the Olympic games, Orr only qualified for the 200-meter dash but showed that he was still a capable competitor. In the preliminaries Lee came in second behind Jesse Owens and tied an Olympic record in the quarterfinals by finishing the race in only 21.2 seconds. Coming in second during the semifinals, Orr was ready for the final dash.[20] Starting in the sixth lane, Lee got off to a bad start to the race as he could not easily hear the starter. Though he eventually finished in fifth place, Orr enjoyed his time in the Olympics. On Jesse Owens, the eventual Gold medal winner, Lee stated that, “It was more of a thrill to lose to Jesse Owens than winning any other race.”[21] With school starting soon, Orr returned to Pullman. Despite many predicting Orr would play football soon, it would be three years until he stepped onto the gridiron again.

Fig 5. An article on Orr being chosen for the Canadian track team. Found in the Monroe Monitor (7/17/1936).

Though football was one of Orr’s favorite sports, his perspective on balancing football and track had changed following the Olympics. He was a solid player in football but in track, Lee was one of the best athletes in the world. An injury in football was always a possibility and could be devastating to his career in track so sticking to one sport seemed a safe bet. Focusing entirely on track, Lee carved his place in WSC as no record seemed safe from him. In 1937, Lee, alongside his brother Jack, and the rest of the WSC relay team set a world record during the Pacific Coast track and field meet in Los Angeles when they completed a 440-yard dash in 3 minutes and 12.3 seconds.[22] Despite Orr only competing in track, speculation at his return grew as Cougar football struggled in the late 1930’s. Towards the end of a lackluster 1938 season, rumors of Lee’s return to football grew as he only had one more season of eligibility.[23] It would not take long for the hopes of many Cougar football fans to be realized as Orr prepared for one last season of football.

Returning to the Gridiron

Fig 6. Article on Orr joining the WSC football team. Found in the Washington State Evergreen (9/15/1939).

After years of speculation and hope, WSC football finally got their wish fulfilled shortly before the start of the 1939 campaign. In September, Orr turned out for the football team, a development reported with a large headline in the student newspaper.[24] Though he had not played in three years, the excitement around Lee and his speed were the topic of many articles before the season began, repeating the fact Orr could run 100-yards in only 9.5 seconds.[25] Despite his speed, Orr’s contributions to the team were limited in his final season. He was one of several Backs on the roster and oftentimes only appeared as a substitute. Nevertheless, Orr played well in his limited role and was seen as a valuable backup.[26] Lee did find more success on Special Teams as he played an important role blocking when the Cougars received punts.[27] As he had done in Monroe, Orr also contributed as a punter, helping WSC rank #4 in the country in punting average.[28] After a loss to UCLA in Pasadena, the Cougars finished the year with a lowly 4-5 record, but not before Lee Orr had another brush with greatness. With WSC leading 7-6 and the first half coming to a close, Orr intercepted a pass and sprinted towards the UCLA endzone. With his Olympian speed, Lee raced 47 yards before a lone Bruin player caught him and prevented a touchdown. A young Jackie Robinson had run down the speedy Orr, stopping WSC from taking a wider lead.[29] For his efforts in his final season, Lee earned his second letter in football as he graduated in the class of 1940.[30] Though his football career at WSC left much to be desired, Orr’s achievements in track were nothing short of incredible. During his years in Pullman, Lee won eight Pacific Coast Northern Division titles as well as NCAA championship in the 440-yard dash. For his numerous achievements, Orr was later inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame, a well deserved recognition for his years of excellence.[31]

Fig 7. Lee Orr and the 1939 WSC football team. Found in the 1940 Chinook.

Conclusion

There is little doubt about how good of an athlete Lee Orr was as he is considered to be one the greatest athletes in Monroe history and among the greatest in WSU history. Though he more than proved himself in track, his football career was complicated and less well-regarded. He certainly excelled in high school and showed flashes of brilliance during college but overall did not quite live up to the lofty expectations set by his peers and the media. Nevertheless, Orr was an All-State Halfback at Monroe and earned two letters during both his years at WSC, showing that he did possess more than enough talent for the gridiron. Ultimately, it was his decision to focus on track and the Olympic games which truly impacted his football career. While disappointing in his day, Orr is not unlike many modern athletes who chose one sport over all others to avoid clashes and injury. Given how rough football was played during the 1930’s, Orr’s avoidance of the sport in favor of track is more than understandable. Though we can only speculate how good Orr might have been playing football full time, respect for his talents and numerous achievements can never be in question.

About the Historian: MJ Vega is a second-year Master's student studying Public History under Orlan Svingen. Born and raised in Washington, MJ graduated from Washington State University in 2018 with a B.A. in History. He returned to WSU in 2019, where he studies the experiences of Japanese Americans on the Palouse during World War II and the development of Americanism in Nisei and rural communities. In his free time, MJ runs a website dedicated to the history of his high school football team and also makes short videos on historical topics. He also enjoys listening to music, going to local coffee shops, and exploring the Palouse.

Sources

[1] Robertson, Nellie E. "Orr, Lee (1917-2009)." HistoryLink.org. April 3, 2008. https://www.historylink.org/File/8573

[2] "Bearcats Beaten By Arlington Eagles In Hard Game, 20 to 0," The Monroe Monitor, September 30, 1932.

[3] "Local Team Defeats Squad From Custer By Score of 24 to 7," The Monroe Monitor, November 18, 1932.

[4] Robertson, Nellie E. "Orr, Lee (1917-2009)." HistoryLink.org. April 3, 2008. https://www.historylink.org/File/8573

[5] "28 Men Answer Coach Sackett's First Practice Call," The Monroe Monitor, September 15, 1933.

[6] "Bearcats Victors Over Arlington Eagles Saturday," The Monroe Monitor, September 29, 1933.

[7] "Bearcats Play Scorless Tie With Stanwood Eleven," The Monroe Monitor, October 20, 1933.

[8] "Bearcats Trounce Panthers To Tune Of 13-0 Saturday," The Monroe Monitor, November 10, 1933.

[9] Blanchette, John. "Cougars Lose A Legend Stan Bates, Longtime WSU Athletic Director, Dies At 86." The Spokesman-Review. November 13, 1996. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/nov/13/cougars-lose-a-legend-stan-bates-longtime-wsu/

[10] "Bearcat Eleven Ties With Fast Marysville Team," The Monroe Monitor, October 12, 1934.

[11] "Bearcats Defeat Stanwood Eleven 12 to 6 Saturday," The Monroe Monitor, October 19, 1934.

[12] "Local Gridders Trim Edmonds On Sloppy Field Here," The Monroe Monitor, October 26, 1934.

[13] "Bearcats Defeat Old Rivals Here Saturday, 19 to 7," The Monroe Monitor, November 9, 1934.

[14] "Southwest District Wins State Title," Washington State Evergreen, May 18, 1935.

[15] Robertson, Nellie E. "Orr, Lee (1917-2009)." HistoryLink.org. April 3, 2008. https://www.historylink.org/File/8573

[16] "Frosh Gridders Prepare For Tough Schedule," Washington State Evergreen, September 23, 1935.

[17] Washington State College, "Chinook" (1936), 196.

[18] "Turnout of Lee Orr Adds Greater Power to Hollingbery's Grid Machine," Washington State Evergreen, September 15, 1939.

[19] "Orr Selected To Go To Berlin As Canadian Runner," The Monroe Monitor, July 17, 1936.

[20] "Lee Orr Wins 5th in Finals Olympic Race," Washington State Evergreen, August 18, 1936.

[21] Robertson, Nellie E. "Orr, Lee (1917-2009)." HistoryLink.org. April 3, 2008. https://www.historylink.org/File/8573

[22] "Orr Boys Run In Relay Team That Sets World Record," The Monroe Monitor, June 4, 1937.

[23] "In The Sportlight," Washington State Evergreen, November 30, 1938.

[24] "Turnout of Lee Orr Adds Greater Power to Hollingbery's Grid Machine," Washington State Evergreen, September 15, 1939.

[25] "Chuckin' Chatter," Washington State Evergreen, September 18, 1939.

[26] "Cougars Battle Lowly Indians," Washington State Evergreen, November 17, 1939.

[27] "Gridders Leave for USC Game Tuesday," Washington State Evergreen, October 2, 1939.

[28] "Varsity Gridders Get Thanksgiving Rest Before Tackling UCLA Bruins Nov. 30," Washington State Evergreen, November 22, 1939.

[29] "UCLA Defeats WSC 24-7 in Thrilling Game," Washington State Evergreen, December 1, 1939.

[30] Washington State College, "Chinook" (1940), 158.

[31] Robertson, Nellie E. "Orr, Lee (1917-2009)." HistoryLink.org. April 3, 2008. https://www.historylink.org/File/8573