Orth Franklin

American gun rights activist who served as Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA) from 1959 until his death. In the 1960s, Orth was influential during debates on gun control in the United States. During his tenure, the organization would take on a more active role in legislative debates in response to calls for new, more expansive gun control legislation amidst the political violence of the 1960s. This included the assassinations of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968, and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968. Orth was an opponent of gun control measures, but he was more moderate than later NRA leaders. Orth supported banning the inexpensive, often low-quality, handguns known as Saturday night specials. In 1964, he supported limits on mail-order gun purchases. Orth also served as President of the United States Olympic Committee from April 1969 until his death. He died of a heart attack on 4 January 1970 at age 62 in Bethesda, Maryland. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less