Monford Arthur Orloff was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 businessman, financier, lawyer and philanthropist. He was married to Janice Orloff and had three children Jon

Jon Orloff

Jon Orloff is an American physicist, author and professor. He is the eldest son of the lumber mogul Monford Orloff and brother of pianist Carole Orloff and historian Chester Orloff...

, Carole and Chester

Chester Orloff

Chester Lloyd "Chet" Orloff is a historian, writer and professor in Portland, Oregon, called "one of [Oregon's] favorite history teachers" by The Oregonian.-Early life:...

. Mr. Orloff was known as an aggressive supporter of the arts.

Career

Born in Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, he grew up in Nebraska and New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and completed high school in Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. He graduated from Stanford University

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

 in 1937 and was elected Phi Beta Kappa, in 1940 he graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...

. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 first as an infantry officer then in intelligence.

In 1951 he settled in Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

 and began practicing law there. In 1952, Mt Baker Plywood, one of his clients, was facing bankruptcy. Mr. Orloff signed on as general manager and successfully turned the company around.

In 1959 he bought the Aberdeen Plywood Co., in Aberdeen, Washington

Aberdeen, Washington

Aberdeen is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884. Aberdeen was incorporated on May 12, 1890. The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis...

. As the CEO of Aberdeen Plywood and Veneers Inc. he orchestrated a merger with Plymouth

Plymouth, Michigan

Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...

, Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 based Evans Products in 1961. He became president of Evans moving the corporate headquarters to Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. Under Mr. Orloff’s leadership the company developed a combination of retail building materials stores, building and wood products, railcar and trailer manufacturing, heavy equipment leasing and home building and financing.

In 1972, he resigned. Two years later, due to interest rate increases and cuts in housing starts bringing massive losses to Evans (the company saw its stock fall from $13 a share to $2 a share) Mr. Orloff returned to his post. He cut many of the company's money-losing sectors, bringing confidence back to his investors. In 1979, Evans' share price rebounded and the company produced $1.5 billion in annual sales.

Evans Products was taken over by Victor Posner

Victor Posner

Victor Posner was an American businessman. He was known as one of the highest paid business executives of his generation. He was a pioneer of the leveraged buyout.-Career:...

 in 1983 and Mr. Orloff stayed on as a consultant until 1985 at which time he became Chairman of FEI

FEI Company

FEI Company , founded in 1971, is an American supplier of electron microscopy tools to researchers, developers and manufacturers working on the nanoscale. Headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, the company employs 1,770 people worldwide....

 Corporation in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Philanthropy and Boards

Mr. Orloff donated generously to the arts and higher learning including $3 million to the Oregon Community Foundation for a performing arts center. He sat on the boards of the Oregon Community foundation, Reed College

Reed College

Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...

, OPB Foundation, the Oregon Symphony

Oregon Symphony

The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...

, the Portland Art Museum

Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it the oldest art museum on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the United States. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum became one of the twenty-five largest art museums in...

, the Oregon Art Institute, and Oregon Graduate Institute (OGI) board. As president of the Oregon Community Foundation, he vigorously supported the foundation's program to fund undergraduate and community college scholarships for Oregon and Clark County, Washington

Clark County, Washington

Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...

high school graduates.

Honors

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Vice Chair of Reed College (1970–1990).
• Commissioner for Oregon Public Broadcasting.
• Chairman of the OGI science park.
• 1979 Reed College distinguished lay scholar.
• 1981 National Business Community Award for the Arts.
• 1982 Torch of Liberty Award for his "contributions to human relations and the pursuit of excellence in the community" by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.
• The National Conference of Christians and Jews' Oregon Brotherhood Award.
• Lewis & Clark College's Aubrey Watzek Award
• 1982 Oregon Governor's Arts Award