John A. Orris was born on August 29, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up and attended school in the Rock Island, Moline area. John entered the U.S. Marines during WWII and served as an intelligence tech sergeant in the Pacific. After his honorable discharge, he attended the University of Iowa where he graduated with a degree in photojournalism in 1947.

Orris worked as a news photographer at The Milwaukee Journal, The Detroit News, and The New York Times, and occasionally worked as a freelance photographer. In September of 1968, John moved to Platteville, Wisconsin, where he was a photojournalism instructor at UW-Platteville. John then moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and taught in the art department at UW-Eau Claire, retiring in 1977. He remained active in campus life, continuing to volunteer and audit classes. Throughout his career, John Orris received many photography awards including the Graflex Award, the Michigan News Photographer of the Year award, and the New York News Photographer of the Year award. John has been noted for introducing and developing the use of small format cameras, natural light photography and modern camera techniques, as well as for doing pioneer work on many publications. He was a long-time member of the National Press Photographer’s Association. John took photos of many dignitaries including Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, and John. F. Kennedy. His photos hang in salons all over the world. John Orris passed away in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on October 14, 2002.