John Herbert Orr
Encyclopedia
John Herbert Orr was an Alabama
entrepreneur
who formed Orradio Industries, Inc., a high-technology firm that made magnetic recording tape.
In 1945, Orr was among the U.S. Army Intelligence officials who investigated this technology, which was originally developed in Germany
during the 1930s. According to one story, in 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
wanted to record a message to the German people, which he did using captured German tape. However, the tape had not been completely erased, and Hitler's voice, so the story goes, could be heard intermittently along with that of Eisenhower. Eisenhower ordered that no more captured tape could be used, and ordered Major John Herbert Orr to use captured German scientists
to set up an American tape manufacturing facility. Paper tape was the medium in use at the time, but the German engineers had been experimenting with a plastic based tape; they provided Major Orr with the data on this and it became the basis of the modern audio and video recording industry. When the German engineers gave Orr their studies on plastic tape, the only place in Europe manufacturing the material was a factory making ladies imitation leather purses.
Orr's early knowledge allowed him to establish Orradio in 1949. When, after some uncertainty, tape
became the standard medium for magnetic recorders
, and as other uses such as data storage and videotape appeared, Orradio's sales expanded rapidly in the late 1950s. Orradio produced the first commercially available audio tape, video tape, and computer tape in the world. The company was purchased by a larger competitor, the Ampex Corporation
, in 1959 when Ampex decided it was cheaper to own the plant than to keep buying all their tape.
Orr founded and managed the now-defunct radio station WJHO, located in Opelika, Alabama
(where Ampex had a large facility). Orr said the call letters stood for "Joy Has Opportunity", not his own initials.
Orr then founded OrrTronics, which developed the lubricated tape used in closed loop tape systems. The system, called the "Orrtronic Tapette", was produced in versions for home, commercial, and automotive use, and was offered as a prize on television game shows. Evolving from a single track mono design (which stayed in production as the radio station "cart") through two-track mono and stereo versions, the rights were sold to Bill Lear, who continued development into the well known 4-track and 8-track cartridges of the late sixties.
Orrtronic was then closed and Orr formed Orrox Corporation, which specialized in hard disc drive controllers, refurbishing of [Quadruplex_videotape] recorder heads, and computerized video tape editing systems for TV broadcasters and post-production houses. The latter product, CMX Systems, was for many years the preferred editing system for 80% of all television programming originating on videotape.
Orr retired from Orrox in 1976 and founded Orr Proprietorship, which transcribed recorded media, from early cylinder recordings to 1960s tape recordings, onto modern tape for preservation.
Orr died of a heart attack in 1984 while on a Sunday afternoon drive with his sister.
In 2005, a segment in the PBS
series History Detectives
(Car Tape Deck, Season 3, Episode 6) featured Orr and his contribution to the early magnetic tape industry.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who formed Orradio Industries, Inc., a high-technology firm that made magnetic recording tape.
In 1945, Orr was among the U.S. Army Intelligence officials who investigated this technology, which was originally developed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the 1930s. According to one story, in 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
wanted to record a message to the German people, which he did using captured German tape. However, the tape had not been completely erased, and Hitler's voice, so the story goes, could be heard intermittently along with that of Eisenhower. Eisenhower ordered that no more captured tape could be used, and ordered Major John Herbert Orr to use captured German scientists
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II...
to set up an American tape manufacturing facility. Paper tape was the medium in use at the time, but the German engineers had been experimenting with a plastic based tape; they provided Major Orr with the data on this and it became the basis of the modern audio and video recording industry. When the German engineers gave Orr their studies on plastic tape, the only place in Europe manufacturing the material was a factory making ladies imitation leather purses.
Orr's early knowledge allowed him to establish Orradio in 1949. When, after some uncertainty, tape
Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
became the standard medium for magnetic recorders
Magnetic storage
Magnetic storage and magnetic recording are terms from engineering referring to the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses different patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable material to store data and is a form of non-volatile memory. The information is accessed using...
, and as other uses such as data storage and videotape appeared, Orradio's sales expanded rapidly in the late 1950s. Orradio produced the first commercially available audio tape, video tape, and computer tape in the world. The company was purchased by a larger competitor, the Ampex Corporation
Ampex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
, in 1959 when Ampex decided it was cheaper to own the plant than to keep buying all their tape.
Orr founded and managed the now-defunct radio station WJHO, located in Opelika, Alabama
Opelika, Alabama
Opelika is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. According to 2010 Census, the population of Opelika was 26,477...
(where Ampex had a large facility). Orr said the call letters stood for "Joy Has Opportunity", not his own initials.
Orr then founded OrrTronics, which developed the lubricated tape used in closed loop tape systems. The system, called the "Orrtronic Tapette", was produced in versions for home, commercial, and automotive use, and was offered as a prize on television game shows. Evolving from a single track mono design (which stayed in production as the radio station "cart") through two-track mono and stereo versions, the rights were sold to Bill Lear, who continued development into the well known 4-track and 8-track cartridges of the late sixties.
Orrtronic was then closed and Orr formed Orrox Corporation, which specialized in hard disc drive controllers, refurbishing of [Quadruplex_videotape] recorder heads, and computerized video tape editing systems for TV broadcasters and post-production houses. The latter product, CMX Systems, was for many years the preferred editing system for 80% of all television programming originating on videotape.
Orr retired from Orrox in 1976 and founded Orr Proprietorship, which transcribed recorded media, from early cylinder recordings to 1960s tape recordings, onto modern tape for preservation.
Orr died of a heart attack in 1984 while on a Sunday afternoon drive with his sister.
In 2005, a segment in the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series History Detectives
History Detectives
History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...
(Car Tape Deck, Season 3, Episode 6) featured Orr and his contribution to the early magnetic tape industry.
See also
- Jack MullinJack MullinJohn T. "Jack" Mullin was an American pioneer in the field of magnetic tape sound recording and made significant contributions to many other related fields. From his days at Santa Clara University to his death, he displayed a deep appreciation for classical music and an aptitude for electronics...
- Another American magnetic tape pioneer. - Richard H. RangerRichard H. RangerRichard Howland Ranger was an American electrical engineer, music engineer and inventor. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of John Hilliard and Emily Anthen Gillet Ranger, He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I, earning the rank of Major...
- Another American magnetic tape pioneer.
External links
- John Herbert Orr Collection
- Harvard Business Review Archives (bottom of page)
- Today's Engineer article
- Transcript of PBS' History Detectives program (Car Tape Deck segment, Episode 6, Season 3, 2005).