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Biographies Beginning with the letter O

History of Iowa
Vol IV
1903

HENRY O'CONNOR was born in the City of Dublin, Ireland, July 26, 1820. When old enough to leave home he was sent to Tullow where he received private instruction from the monks who kept a free school. He finally emigrated to America, going to Cincinnati, where he began the study of law when about twenty-six years of age and took six moths' instruction in a law school, working at his trade to support himself. In 1849 he was admitted to the bar and came to Iowa, locating at Muscatine, where he opened a law office. He united with the free soil movement in 1854, supporting James W. Grimes for Governor. In 1856 he was a delegate to the State Convention which organized the Republican party in Iowa and made a speech on the evening of the ratification meeting which for impassioned eloquence has seldom been equaled. It place him in the front rank of Republican orators. In 1857 Mr. O'Connor was chosen District Attorney in the Seventh District. When the War of the Rebellion began in 1861, Mr. O'Connor enlisted as a private in the First Iowa Regiment and fought bravely until his term of service expired. In 1862 he was commissioned major of the Thirty-fifth Regiment. In 1867 he was elected Attorney-General of Iowa, serving by reelections until 1872. While holding this position, a young woman was elected to the office of superintendent of schools in Mitchell County. Her eligibility to the office was questioned and submitted to the Attorney-General. He decided that a woman was eligible to hold office-the first decision in the United Stares upon that subject. In 1872 Mr. O'Connor was appointed by President Grant Solicitor of the Department of State and served in that important position under four secretaries-Hamilton, Fish, Wm. M. Evarts, F. T. Frelinghuysen and James G. Blaine, a period of nearly fourteen years. In 1872 he was warmly supported for Governor before the Republican State Convention but the nomination went to C. C. Carpenter. Major O'Connor died at the Soldiers' Home, November 6, 1900.

JACKSON ORR was born in Fayette County, Ohio, September 21, 1832. He was reared on a farm and by his own labor earned the means to pay his way in the University. After attending the public schools in boyhood, he attended the University of Indiana. In 1857 he came to Iowa, locating in Greene County. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. At the beginning of the War of the Rebellion he raised a company of which he was chosen captain. This company was incorporated into the Tenth Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Captain Orr was a gallant soldier and rendered distinguished service at the Battles of New Madrid, Island No. 10, Corinth, Iuka, second Battle of Corinth and in the Vicksburg campaign. He was strongly recommended for colonel of the Thirty-ninth Regiment but lacking the help of influential friends at headquarter, was not promoted to the position which he had nobly earned. After the close of the war he removed to Boone and engaged in mercantile business. In the fall of 1867 he was nominated in the Sixth District for Congress and was elected by a majority of more than 11,000. He secured the passage of a bill through the House of Representatives granting indemnity to the River Land Settlers for the loss of their homes but the bill failed in the Senate. He was reelected at the close of his first term, serving four years. Captain Orr removed to Colorado where he held several important public positions.