  The atomic pair distribution function (PDF) of stoichiometric LaMnO_3 has
been measured. This has been fit with a structural model to extract the local
Jahn-Teller distortion for an ideal Mn(3+)O_6 octahedron. These results are
compared to Rietveld refinements of the same data which give the average
structure. Since the local structure is being measured in the PDF there is no
assumption of long-range orbital order and the real, local, Jahn-Teller
distortion is measured directly. We find good agreement both with published
crystallographic results and our own Rietveld refinements suggesting that in an
accurately stoichiometric material there is long range orbital order as
expected. The local Jahn-Teller distortion has 2 short, 2 medium and 2 long
bonds.
