I. King Jordan
I. King Jordan (b. 1943) made history in 1988 when he became the first deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. That year Gallaudet students, with support from many alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University, protested the Board of Trustees' appointment of a hearing person to the presidency.
Called Deaf President Now (DPN), the week-long protest was a watershed event in the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people all over the world. At its conclusion, the Board reversed its decision and named Dr. Jordan, one of three finalists for the position, the eighth president of Gallaudet and the first deaf president since the institution was established in 1864.
Background
Dr. Jordan is a native of Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania, a small town near Philadelphia. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served four years. A motorcycle accident left him profoundly deaf at age 21.
As professor, department chair, dean, and president, Dr. Jordan has made numerous scholarly contributions to his field. In addition, he has been a research fellow at Donaldson's School for the Deaf in Edinburgh, Scotland, an exchange scholar at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, and a visiting scholar and lecturer at schools in Paris, Toulouse, and Marseille, France.
Presidency
Dr. Jordan holds eleven honorary degrees and is the recipient of numerous awards, among them: the Presidential Citizen's Medal, the Washingtonian of the Year Award, the James L. Fisher Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Larry Stewart Award from the American Psychological Association, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership. In 1990, President Bush appointed Dr. Jordan Vice Chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD). In 1993, President Clinton reappointed Dr. Jordan Vice Chair of PCEPD.
On campus, he is widely applauded for his successful efforts to increase funding, including funds for the expansion and construction of two new large-scale centers for education research and support.
On Thursday, September 1, 2005, Dr. Jordan announced his intentions to retire from the Presidency effective December 31, 2006.
Dr. Jordan's legacy became controversial when Dr. Jane Fernandes was announced as his successor on May 1, 2006, which set off a protest. Critics claim that Dr. Fernandes was not highly regarded by both the faculty and students, and many deeply suspect Dr. Jordan orchestrated her ascension for personal reasons. Dr. Jordan publicly accused some critics of rejecting Dr. Fernandes because "she is not deaf enough". They replied that such a charge is off-base, because Jordan himself was accepted as president, even though he did not become deaf until he was 21. The dissenters insist that they protest for more profound reasons, such as Dr. Fernandes' character, leadership, and policies.
The dissenters also took issue with the fact that during escalating tensions between the adminstration and dissenters in October, 2006, Jordan proceeded to host ceremonies in which the Student Academic Center was renamed after him while a wing in the Washburn Arts Building was renamed after his wife. Many of the dissenters took that as a sign of Jordan's arrogance and dismissive attitude in regards to the protests.
On October 13, 2006, I. King Jordan ordered mass arrests of Gallaudet University Students at the 6th street gate. Dubbed as Black Friday, a total of 134 students were arrested. The bail was originally set at $250 as requested by I. King Jordan. The D.C. Metropolitian Police later decided to set it at $50. This set off even larger protest the following day estimated at 1,000 people.
Dr. Jordan and his wife, Linda, live on the Gallaudet campus in the historic Edward Miner Gallaudet residence. They have two grown children.