Los Angeles County
Biographies
ORRA EUGENE
MONNETTE
Although he is a thoroughly trained lawyer of marked ability Orra E. Monnett, of Los Angeles, has become more widely known as a banker. His knowledge of the law, and skill in applying its principles to the matter at hand, has been proven in many instances, and he occupies a prominent place in both legal and financial circles of the state of California.
Mr. Monnette is a native of Ohio, and was born in 1873 near Bucyrus, Crawford County. After receiving his early educational training in public schools of Bucyrus he attended Ohio Wesleyan University, which conferred on him the A. B. degree in 1895. His legal training was obtained through post-graduate study at the same situation, and he was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1896. After practicing for sometime at Bucyrus he located at Toledo, where he continued in the practice of law until 1907.
In the latter year Mr. Monnette moved to Los Angeles and engaged in general civil practice. A few years later he organized and became President of the Citizens Trust & Savings Bank, of which he is still a Director, and Director of the Citizens National Bank. In 1923 he organized the Bank of America and became its President, and in 1927 he was made Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, San Francisco, and Chairman of the Regional Board, Los Angeles, of the Bank of Italy. He has been President of the Lincoln Mortgage Company, Bankers Oil Company and Buckeye Union Oil Company, and is an officer of various other corporations.
Mr. Monnette holds membership in the American Bar Association, California State Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association, and Los Angeles County Bar Association, as well as the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He is a 32° Mason and Shriner and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Psi fraternities, having served the latter as National President in 1911 and 1912. Among the other organizations in which he holds membership is the Huguenot Society of America, Society of Mayflower Descendants, Order of Washington, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution, Society of Colonial Wars, Society of the War of 1812, Union League Club, San Francisco; California Club, Jonathan Club, City Club, Scribes Club, Uplifters, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Los Angeles Country Club, and Southern California Athletic & Country Club, Los Angeles.
In addition to his other activities Mr. Monnette has served as a member of the Municipal Annexation Commission, by appointment of the Mayor, and is President of the Los Angeles Public Library, which position he has held for 13 years. In 1924, he served on the Board of Freeholders, to which he was elected by the citizenship, and which Board adopted the new City Charter. He is known as a forceful public speaker, and is the author of many magazine articles and poems as well as "Monnet Family Genealogy," published in 1911, "California Chronology," which appeared four years later, and a book of poems, "Red Shining Star," 1926. In 1917 he married Helen Marie Kull and they have one daughter, Helen Hull Monnette.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: "American Blue Book California Lawyers"
by H. James Boswell, Page 30, Produced by H. James Boswell,
1928.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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