Arthur E. Ormsbee retired from the Commonwealth Printing Co. in 1955 after 38 years in the printing business. In 1952, he had been named the Outstanding Craftsman of the Grand Rapids Club of Printing House Craftman, 5th District (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania). In May 1964, at the age of 76, he was further honored by the local club with “Arthur Ormsbee Night.” At that time he was engaged in the activity of setting up the 19th century printing shop at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. His collection of incunabula was given to the Museum in 1966.

Ormsbee was born in Beloit, Iowa Sept 2, 1887. He moved with his parents to Montpelier, Vermont before his first birthday. His formal schooling ended at 13 when he went to work at the Vermont Waterman News in Montpelier. There he learned to set type, working 26 hours a week for $2.50 a week. At 15, in 1903 he left Montpelier, and traveled the country, ending up in Grand Rapids in 1908. He was employed at various plants, working for Dean Hicks Printing for four years, then Dickinson Brother for three years.

On May 14, 1912 he was married but they had no children. He was a member of St. Alphonsus Parish, the YMCA, and the Community Chest.

In 1915 he partnered with Linke-Santter Printing Co., purchasing four printing plants including the Martin Wurzburg plant in 1917. This plant, then on lower Monroe Ave., was the location of the new Commonwealth Printing Co. In 1928, the plant moved to the Leonard Building, 31 Ottawa Ave.

Ormsbee celebrated his 50th anniversary in the printing business November 20, 1950. He was a charter and active member of the Printing House Craftmen organization in Grand Rapids, serving in that association from the 1930s. He wrote and spoke extensively on printing history and published a history of the Grand Rapids printing industry for the 100th local anniversary. His booklet “This Printing Business” has been referred to as “The Gettysburg Address of Printing,” and distributed widely among national printing organizations and trade journals. Ormsbee was active in other local, regional and national organizations, including United Typothetae, the Graphic Arts Associations, the National Graphic Arts Education Assoc., and American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Ormsbee advised several area colleges and universities on printing education, among them Davis Technical School, Grand Rapids Junior College and Ferris State University, including the preparation of curriculum materials.

Ormsbee died at the age of 82, on Aug. 21, 1971.