David Starr Jordan - Role in Coverup of The Murder of Jane Stanford

Role in Coverup of The Murder of Jane Stanford

In 1905, Jordan launched an apparent coverup of the murder by poisoning of Jane Stanford, who was president of the Stanford University board of trustees after having founded the university with her late husband Leland Stanford. Mrs. Stanford died suddenly while vacationing in Oahu of strychnine poisoning according to the local coroner’s jury. Jordan then sailed to Hawaii, hired a physician to investigate the case, and declared she had in fact died of heart failure. His motive for doing this has been a subject of speculation, given that Mrs. Stanford had had a difficult relationship with him and at the time of her death was reportedly planning to remove him from his position at the university.