Orra White displayed a talent for drawing as a child in Amherst, Massachusetts. In 1813 after her schooling was completed, she became an assistant teacher at Deerfield Academy in nearby Deerfield, Massachusetts. There she taught classes in science, painting, and drawing. She met Edward Hitchcock (1793-1864) while at Deerfield Academy, and the couple married in 1821. In 1826, Edward accepted a faculty position at Amherst College where he taught geology, mineralogy, and natural science. Orra shared her husband’s interest in science and illustrated many of his publications. Her illustrations also appeared in “The Portfolio” and the “American Journal of Science.”