[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. I. KING JORDAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2005

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. I. King Jordan upon his 
retirement as President of Gallaudet University on December 31, 2005. 
Dr. Jordan is an accomplished, respected leader and someone I consider 
a personal friend.
  Dr. Jordan became the Nation's first deaf university President when 
appointed in 1988 and the first deaf President to preside over 
Gallaudet University. During his tenure there he has proven to be an 
able, caring leader propelling the University forward as well as 
becoming a strong advocate for deaf students on the federal level.
  Among his accomplishments, he led the University's first ever capital 
campaign, raising nearly $40 million, which supported the construction 
of the state-of-the-art Student Academic Center and contributed to the 
extraordinary increase in the University's endowment, which paved the 
way for an increase in scholarships and more academic programs. He also 
established a fellows program to provide support for deaf college 
graduates to complete their terminal degrees and become faculty 
members.
  Dr. Jordan was not only a strong advocate for the Gallaudet 
community, but for individuals with disabilities across this Nation. 
Another proud accomplishment of Dr. Jordan's is the work he did to 
assist with the passage of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) 
in 1990. He was a lead witness in support of the ADA during a joint 
session of Congress and delivered significant testimony in Congress and 
across the country during the deliberations of this bill.
  Before coming to Gallaudet Dr. Jordan's life was filled with many 
other accomplishments. A native of Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania, a small 
town near Philadelphia, Dr. Jordan earned a B.A. in psychology from 
Gallaudet University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from the 
University of Tennessee.
  Upon receiving his doctorate, Dr. Jordan joined the faculty of 
Gallaudet's Department of Psychology. Before his appointment as 
President, Dr. Jordan served as chair of Gallaudet's Psychology 
Department and as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has been 
a research fellow at Donaldson's School for the Deaf in Edinburgh 
Scotland and an exchange scholar at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, 
Poland.
  Dr. Jordan holds eleven honorary degrees and is the recipient of 
numerous awards, among them: The Presidential Citizen's Medal, 
presented by Bill Clinton in 2001; 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. President George 
H.W. Bush appointed Dr. Jordan Vice Chair of the President's Committee 
on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD) in 1990, and 
President Clinton reappointed Dr. Jordan to that role in 1993. In the 
summer of 2005, Dr. Jordan was presented the George Bush Medal for the 
Empowerment of People with Disabilities from President George H.W. 
Bush.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish Dr. Jordan much happiness in his retirement as he 
looks forward to traveling with his wife Lynda and spending more time 
with his family. His compassion and service will be greatly missed. I 
am proud to have had a chance to work with him these past years.

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