Orth, Donald J., 1925-2019

Individual

AboutDonald J. Orth was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and studied anthropology, cartography, and geology there. In 1942 he joined the Navy and took part in the landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

After WWII, Orth became chief of the Geological Survey's Office of Geographic Names in 1960. There, he was responsible for developing the Geographic Names Information System and authored several articles published in UN publications.

Orth also taught geography at George Washington University and Catholic University and served as president of such organizations as The American Name Society, The Washington Group Explorers Club, and the Arlington Historical Society.
Life Span1925 – 2019