Orma Melton was born in West Virginia and while working for the Census Bureau in Washington, DC, she decided to enter the mission field. She graduated from Marshall College in 1924, received an MA from West Virginia University in 1926 and spent two years at the Woman’s Missionary Union Training School. Melton was appointed, upon recommendation of the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society in 1930 and designated to East China. She sailed in August 1930 and arrived in Shanghai on September 5. Her first assignment was at Huchow were she was involved in various types of evangelistic work. During her second term in 1937, she had to flee from an invading army to Shanghai. There she helped to set up the Mothercraft School in temporary quarters; this school gave instruction to mothers and children together regarding how to have a happy home life. Orma also gave a great deal of time to emergency relief work in the camps for war refugees. She taught English in the University Of Shanghai Middle School. She returned to the United States in March 1941 and resigned in 1945. Subsequently she became dean of women at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Later she worked as Director of Guidance in Armijo Union High School in Fairfield, California.