Background
Jordan is a native of Glen Riddle, a small town near Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Jordan was born to hearing parents, with no other instances of Deafness in his family. After graduating from Penncrest High School in 1962, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served four years. Jordan became Deaf at age 21 when, while driving a motorcycle without a helmet, he was flung into the windshield of a car and suffered a skull fracture.
Jordan earned his doctorate in psychology. He was serving as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Gallaudet University when he was chosen as candidate for the university presidency. As professor, department chair, dean, and president, 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 the French cities of Paris, Toulouse, and Marseille.
Jordan and his wife, Linda, live in West River, Maryland. They have two grown children and two grandchildren. Jordan loves running daily. As of 2009, he continues to run the Marine Corps Marathon each year. He was a co-founder of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
Read more about this topic: I. King Jordan
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