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Colonel Frederick Ira Ordway, Jr., the son of Frederick Ira Ordway and Grace Lincoln Shannon, was born in Melrose, MA on August 15, 1894. He married Frances Antoinette Wright in Forest Hills, NY on June 15, 1922. They had one son, Frederick Ira Ordway, III. Col. Ordway married his second wife, Mary Dolores Godwin, in Portsmouth, NH on December 12, 1952. Col. Ordway died in Washington, DC on August 6, 1974.

Col. Ordway was educated at Pinkerton Academy in Derry and Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Hampshire in Durham in 1920, followed by graduate work in corporate law at Fordham University in New York City.

His career in the military began on May 15, 1917 at Plattsburg, NY at the 1st Officers Training Camp. While serving with the 1st Troop of New England Calvary at Plattsburg, he pursued his interest in aviation. On June 15 1917, he was among twenty-five officer candidates selected for flying training with the Royal Flying Corps in Canada. After ground school at the University of Toronto and advanced training at Camp Borden, Cadet Ordway eventually joined the 1st Pursuit Group at the Front near Toul, France. Lieut. Ordway was transferred in June of 1918 to the 94th Squadron, First Pursuit Group, American Expeditionary Force commanded by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. During that time, he participated in the Marne Offensive and the Verdun Drive, which ended the war. Following the Armistice, Lieut. Ordway served with the Air Service History Board in Tours until his return to the United States in the spring of 1919. While in business in New York City, Mr. Ordway served for two years in the Squadron "A" Cavalry, New York National Guard.

In the inter-war period, he worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and with Blyth & Company investment bankers, one of the leading underwriters in the United States in domestic and foreign securities and in all phases of international banking. From 1929 until 1941 he managed the Bond Department of Cassatt & Company and later joined Wortham & North, investment counsel. He was cited in 1939 by the President of the New York Stock Exchange as one of the leaders in the preparation and analysis of corporation statements.

In June of 1941, Major Ordway was called to active duty as Executive Officer to Major General Oliver P. Echols, Assistant Chief of Staff, Headquarters Material Command in Washington. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the spring of 1942 and was transferred to the U. S. Ninth Air Force in Cairo as liaison office with the Headquarter of the Royal Air Force. During that time, Lt. Col. Ordway was stationed in Cairo, Egypt, Algiers, and Naples, Italy. After the War ended in 1945, he was promoted to Colonel and continued on active duty in various capacities with the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner.

In his retirement, Col. Ordway devoted most of his time to the hereditary, patriotic and historical societies of the United States.

Memberships

  • Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Massachusetts
  • Order of the Founders and Patriots of America (former Councilor General; former of Governor of the Washington, D.C. Society)
  • General Society of Colonial Wars (former Deputy Governor General and Registrar of Washington, D.C. Society)
  • General Society of the War of 1812 (former Registrar General)
  • National Huguenot Society (former Curator General)
  • Hereditary Order of Descendants of Loyalists and Patriots of the American Revolution (former Governor General)
  • Huguenot Society of Washington, D.C. (former Treasurer)
  • General Society of Mayflower Descendants (former Deputy Governor General; former Governor of the Washington D.C. Society)
  • Piscataqua Pioneers (former Vice President)
  • Society of Descendants of Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
  • Hereditary Order of Descendants of Colonial Governors
  • Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America
  • Baronial Order of Magna Charta
  • Military Order of the Crusades
  • General Society Sons of the Revolution
  • National Society Sons of the American Revolution (former Librarian Washington, D.C. Society)
  • Sons and Daughters of the First Settlers of Newbury, Massachusetts
  • Flagon and Trencher
  • Huguenot Society of London

Col. Ordway edited and published numerous volumes for the hereditary societies, including the 1967 Register of the Society of Colonial Wars, D.C., the 1970 Register of Mayflower Descendants, D.C., the 1971 Register of the General Society of the War of 1812 and the 1963-1971 Proceedings of the National Huguenot Society. Col. Ordway also served on the editorial committee of the 1972, 1973 and 1974 editions of the Hereditary Register of the United States of America. 

Chivalric Orders

The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Knight Chevalier and former Secretary of the Priory of St. King Charles the Martyr of Washington, D.C.

Listed In

  • The Social List of Washington, D.C.
  • Marquis Who's Who In America

Notes

Col. Ordway was always an avid sportsman, horseback riding, skiing and especially tennis being his favorites. He was a member of the Longwood Cricket Club; West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills; American Yacht Club, Rye; University Club of Washington, D.C.; Badminton and Tennis Club, Boston; Army Navy Country Club, Washington; Gazira Sporting Club, Cairo; Racquet Club d'Algiers; Circulo Nautico Giovenese, Naples and the Kenwood Golf & Country Club, Washington.

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