Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor teaching ethics at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. [28] Jordan's partner of approximately twenty years was Nancy Earl,[29] an educational psychologist who met Jordan on a camping trip in the late 1960s. Her own legislative work focused on the environment, antidiscrimination clauses in state business contracts, and urban legislation, the last being a political challenge in a state dominated by rural interests. Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her sixty-year career. 1883 She was a Texas state senator (the first African-American since 1883) during the late sixties and early seventies (eventually becoming president pro tempore). [22][23][24][25], The recommendations made by the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform under Jordan's leadership are frequently cited by American immigration restrictionists. . Academically brilliant, she attained her formal education from Roberson Elementary School after which she attended the Phillis Wheatley High School. Barbie leaves behind a very dysfunctional family that she was very proud of. Still, Jordan spoke to rally her party with the same powerful and thoughtful style she had displayed 16 years earlier. Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Jordan was also a proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment and issued a statement in support of extending the deadline in 1979. . Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 January 17, 1996) was an American lawyer, educator,[1] and politician. Other records include personal correspondence, press/media files, appointment logs, schedules, invitations, arrangements, job recommendations, and appointments to political offices. In news reports across the country, her 15-minute statement at the Watergate hearings was part of the lede of her obituary.. Alternate titles: Barbara Charline Jordan. The Jordan family's pride in Barbara's acceptance made the financial sacrifice of sending her north a little easier. [citation needed], The Kaiser Family Foundation operates the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars, a fellowship designed for people of color who are college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates as a summer experience working in a congressional office. Please share Barbara's obituary if available, or write one in your own words to preserve her memory. The district had been redrawn after the 1970 Census and was composed of a predominantly African-American and Hispanic-American population. Jordan decided to opt for Texas Southern University as most other colleges at the time had put a ban on black-white integration in college. Following graduation (magna cum laude in 1956), she attended Boston University Law School, where she was one of only two womenboth African Americans from Houstonto graduate. Queen Noor of Jordan, who was the consort of King Hussein, was trained as an urban planner and works as a philanthropist and world activist. In 1988 and 1992, she delivered speeches at the Democratic National Convention. The Commission believes that admission of nuclear family members and refugees provide such a compelling national interest, even if they are . Edited by Max Sherman. 9Fenno, Going Home: 100101. If one citizen is unwilling to participate, all of us are going to suffer. She also inspired the Foundations special and now longstanding commitment to South Africa. Jordan ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives in 1962. Well never share your email with anyone else, In 1962, Jordan began her political career and ran for the Texas House of Representatives. Barbara retired from Parkview Hospital. She served as a special counsel on ethics for Texas Governor Ann Richards in 1991. [53], In the years following Jordan's passing, more African Americans would receive the honor of being buried in the Texas State Cemetery as well, including musical artists James Henry Cotton and Barbara Smith Conrad.[54]. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. For her first job, she worked as an administrative assistant for a county judge. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. According to its website, "the mission [of the JRC] is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. National Women's History Museum. Familiar. January 17, 1996. That same year, she began working on the John F. Kennedy presidential campaign. As a member of the board, she played a pivotal role in the decision to completely make over the. To supplement her income (she worked temporarily out of her parents home), Jordan was employed as an administrative assistant to a county judge.1 She was the first African-American woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery. Make a life-giving gesture Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Barbara Jordan. The New York Times, January 18, 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/18/us/barbara-jordan-dies-at-59-her-voice-stirred-the-nation.html. Barbara Jordan Funeral | C-SPAN.org January 20, 1996 Barbara Jordan Funeral President bill Clinton, state and federal officials, family members, friends and others gathered to honor and. [31] While the Houston Chronicle obituary of Jordan identified Earl as her "longtime companion",[32] and while other sources have stated that Earl was Jordan's same-sex partner,[32][33][31][7][9] neither woman is known to have publicly stated that the two had a romantic relationship. President Clinton said, "Barbara always stirred our national conscience.". She was unsuccessful, and failed again in 1964, but her perseverance eventually paid off. 4700 Country Creek Dallas, TX 75236. Arlyne Jordan and Barbara Jordan sit on the couch, and Bennie Creswell and Rose Mary McGowan stand to their right. Context This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbara-Jordan, BlackPast.org - Biography of Barbara Jordan, Barbara Jordan - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Barbara C. Jordan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Barbara Jordan at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. [citation needed], An elementary school in University City School District is named after her, Barbara C. Jordan Elementary in University City, Missouri. New York: Franklin Watts, 1998. Her 1992 keynote address was delivered from a wheelchair while she was in the midst of a lengthy battle with multiple sclerosis. She received extensive support from former President Lyndon B. Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee. [2] Jordan is known for her eloquent opening statement[3] at the House Judiciary Committee hearings during the impeachment process against Richard Nixon. Once she passed her law exam called the bar, Jordan began practicing law in Houston Texas. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. After her powerful speech, many people surrounded her car, and sent her letters and phone calls to congratulate her. She was the first African American state senator since 1883, and the first black woman to serve in that body. We are a people in search of a national community, she told the delegates, attempting to fulfill our national purpose, to create and sustain a society in which all of us are equal. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. She did not receive a warm welcome from her new colleagues initially, but she eventually won some of them over. Through her mother, Jordan was the great-granddaughter of Edward Patton, who was one of the last African American members of the Texas House of Representatives prior to disenfranchisement of Black Texans under Jim Crow. Date accessed. [13], From 1994 until her death, Jordan chaired the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. Graveside services will be held on Saturday, June 12, at 11:30 a.m. at Pine Grove Cemetery in Poland. It is the 34th stamp in the Black Heritage series of U.S. . 6Susan Tolchin, Women in Congress (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1976): 9697. On January 17, 1996, Barbara Jordan died from pneumonia, a complication of leukemia. "Transforming Appearance into Rhetorical Argument: Rhetorical Criticism of Public Speeches of Barbara Jordan, Lucy Parsons, and Angela Y. Place of Burial: Austin, TX. Barbara Jordan, in full Barbara Charline Jordan, (born February 21, 1936, Houston, Texas, U.S.died January 17, 1996, Austin, Texas), American lawyer, educator, and politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives (197379), representing Texas. At the 1976 Democratic National Convention, Jordan once again captured the public's attention with her keynote address. She once said this: "All we are trying to do is to make this Government of the United States honest. She followed this pattern in the House. She graduated from Texas Southern University in 1956 and from Boston University Law School in 1959, and then returned to Houston to open her own law practice. However, she lost again so in 1966 she decided to run for the Texas Senate instead. 12Current Biography, 1993: 291. [6][7], Jordan taught political science at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for a year. She also leaves behind her children, Max Levis (Amanda),. In seconding the nomination, one of Jordans male colleagues on the other side of the chamber stood, spread his arms open, and said, What can I say? Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century Books, 2000. VER PERFIL. She leaves behind her husband, Frank Jordan; mother, Louise Vigue; sister, Jean Broge (Anne); and brothers, Robert and Steven Vigue (Eva). As a lawyer, a congresswoman, and a scholar, Jordan used her public speaking skills to fight for civil and human rights. Omissions? Barbara Jordan ( (February 21, 1936 - January 17, 1996) was born into Houston, Texas Fifth Ward, a poverty-stricken area primarily black since the 1880s. She also worked to create the Texas Fair Employment Practices Commission. She was the first African-American female to serve as president pro tempore of the state senate and served one day, June 10, 1972, as acting governor of Texas. Barbara Jordan. Show More Show Less 5 of 26 Texas State Senator Barbara Jordan, center . As a member of the board, she played a pivotal role in the decision to completely make over the Foundation under new leadership in 1990, and in the early decisions that shaped the Foundations role today as a leader in health policy and communications. Barbara Jordan, age 76, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 18, 2015. She then accepted a position at the University of Texas, Austin, where she taught at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs until her death. Here's what. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2007. Instead, Jordan became a professor at the University of Texas in Austin as the Lyndon Johnson Chair in National Policy. [8] Because of segregation, she could not attend The University of Texas at Austin and instead chose Texas Southern University, an historically black institution, majoring in political science and history. [19] She simply stated facts that proved Nixon to be untrustworthy and heavily involved in illegal situations,[19] and quoted the drafters of the Constitution to argue that actions like Nixon's during the scandal corresponded with their understanding of impeachable offenses. While her educational work was the focus of her later years, Jordan never fully stepped away from public life. Let each person do his or her part. Also, she was the first African American state senator in United States since 1883. Barbara departed this life on August 29, 2022, at the age of 81. After attending Roberson Elementary School, Jordan attended Phyllis Wheatley High School and graduated in 1952. Photo courtesy Barbara Jordan Archives After her death, she became the first African American to be buried in Texas State Cemetery. The commission recommended that the United States reduce the number of refugees admitted annually to a floor of 50,000 (this level would be lifted during emergencies). One of her first moves in Congress was to establish relationships with Members of the Texas delegation, which had strong institutional connections. Blue, Rose, and Corinne Naden. Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas, USA as Barbara Charline Jordan. JORDAN, Barbara Charline. Accessed November 5, 2019. https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/16031. [2] Jordan's childhood was centered on church life. stamps. VER PERFIL. Her mother was a public speaker and her father was the pastor of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. They had one daughter: Mary Squire Clark (born Jordan). She was the first African-American to be elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, the first southern black female to be elected to the United States House of Representatives, and the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. As High School Student She Became A Skiled Public Speaker , Winning National Debate Contest In 1952 . 17Barbara Jordans Ideals, 19 January 1996, New York Times: A28. Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress who had a 60-year career in film and television, best known for her strong female roles in films, such as Double Indemnity. A Democrat, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. Richard M. Nixon was televised nationwide. Get a complete background report of Barbara Jordan at LocatePeople with phone, address, email, criminal, court and arrest records. A Private Woman in Public Spaces: Barbara Jordan's Speeches on Ethics, Public Religion, and Law. Barbara Jordan Papers, Special Collections, Texas Southern University, October 15, 2015. impeachment process against Richard Nixon, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, History of the African-Americans in Houston, List of African-American United States representatives, List of first women lawyers and judges in Texas, Women in the United States House of Representatives, "Barbara Jordan Dies at 59; Her Voice Stirred the Nation", "JORDAN, Barbara Charline | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives", "Stateswoman Barbara Jordan A Closeted Lesbian", "Black Woman in Texas Is Governor for a Day (Published 1972)", "Today in Texas History: Governor Barbara Jordan? Corrections? This time, Jordan won and became the first African American woman ever elected to that office. In 1978, downplaying reports about her poor health, Jordan declined to run for what would have been certain re-election to a fourth term, citing her internal compass, which she said was pointing her away from demands that are all consuming.14 She also said she wanted to work more directly on behalf of her fellow Texans. [1][6][7], Jordan credited a speech she heard in her high school years by Edith S. Sampson with inspiring her to become an attorney. Its first recipient was former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on June 4, 2015. [35], On July 31, 1988, Jordan nearly drowned in her backyard swimming pool while doing physical therapy, but she was saved by Earl, who found her floating in the pool and revived her. Jordan has tended to keep his family out of the spotlight despite his own public profile. In 1972, her fellow lawmakers voted her in as president pro tempore of the state senate. 108, No. Upon graduation, she went to Texas Southern University and earned her bachelors degree in 1956. Kelin, Norman, and Sabra-Anne Kelin. Share on Facebook. Her father was Baptist Minister named Benjamin Jordan. Jordan, partner Nancy Earl and unknown student, at Jordan's Onion Creek home in Austin, CA, 1982. She eventually helped manage a highly organized get-out-the-vote program that served Houstons 40 African-American precincts. Famed television journalist Barbara Walters was best known as the 11-year star of the 'Today' show, and for being the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. She introduced civil rights amendments to legislation authorizing law enforcement assistance grants and joined seven other members on the Judiciary Committee in opposing Gerald R. Fords nomination as Vice President, citing a mediocre civil rights record. She never married and carefully guarded her private life.15 Roberts, Naurice. She attended Texas Southern University in Houston, becoming a member of the debate team that tied Harvard University in a debateone of her proudest college moments. But the 434 will know Im there.4 Jordan took the primary with 80 percent of the vote. Early on in her academic career she . In 1962 and 1964 she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, but she was elected in 1966 to the Texas Senate, the first African American member since 1883 and the first woman ever elected to that legislative body. [47], On April 24, 2009, a statue of Barbara Jordan was unveiled at the University of Texas at Austin, where Jordan taught at the time of her death. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Opens in a new window. [38] She was the first African American to receive this honor, and previously advocated African Americans to be buried in the state cemetery when she served in the Texas State Senate. Houston: D. Armstrong, 1977. [15], In November 1977, Barbara Jordan spoke at the 1977 National Women's Conference. 1984, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, Austin, TX, https://www.lbjlibrary.net/assets/documents/archives/oral_histories/jordan_b/Jordan-b.PDF. Two years later, President Bill Clinton selected her to lead the Commission on Immigration Reform. Haskins, James. Ph.D. Contact us or stop by today. Despite her absence from Washington, D.C., she remained influential in political affairs. She was the youngest of three daughters in a close-knit family. "Barbara Jordan." Horwitz, Linda Diane. Barbara Jordan, February 21, 1936 - January 17, 1996. Barbara Bush is the daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush and the twin sister of author and media personality Jenna Bush Hager. In the summer of 1974, as the committee considered articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon for crimes associated with the Watergate Scandal, Jordan delivered opening remarks that shook the committee room and the large television audience that had tuned in to the proceedings. Buckeye Trail Family Residences. [48], In 2011, the Barbara Jordan Forever Stamp was issued. She was perhaps best known for as one of Americas greatest orators. While the world watched during the Impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon, Barbara Jordan boldly took center stage. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, she was thrust into the national spotlight during the Watergate scandal. Green, Robert L. Barbara Jordan: Daring Black Leader. 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