[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1166-E1167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING THE JORDAN FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 2009

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the lives of 
Hanabul ``Bud'' Jordan, Lowel Jordan and the generosity of Dee Jordan 
for their tremendous support of the College of Agricultural Sciences 
and Technology at California State University, Fresno and furthermore 
the support of agriculture in the Central Valley. The Jordan's will be 
honored at California State University, Fresno on Thursday, May 14, 
2009 when the university will rename the agricultural college to the 
``Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.''
  The Jordan family is from the East Bay area, where Bud owned and 
operated a construction business headquartered in Hayward, California. 
Lowell lived on the family ranch in the near-by city of Dublin, where 
he tended the family's cattle. Bud passed away at the age of eighty-two 
on April 29, 2002; his brother Lowell passed away at the age of eighty-
one in July 2005 and Bud's wife Dee continues to live in Hayward. The 
Jordan family became involved with CSU Fresno's College of Agricultural 
Sciences and Technology (CAST) through the Ag One Foundation in 
November 1995.
  Bob Glim, professor emeritus of agricultural economics and an advisor 
to the Ag One board, worked at CSU Fresno from 1948 to 1978. He and his 
wife first met Mr. and Mrs. Jordan at a GMC motor home rally. Mr. Glim 
organized a rally get-together to speak about CSU Fresno's agricultural 
program, Ag One and to share CSU Fresno's farm grown products. The 
Jordan's immediately began supporting the program by providing 
scholarships for agricultural students; although they had never visited 
the campus. Their initial gift was $20,000 to Ag One. This gift along 
with subsequent gifts, fund the Ag One-Lowell A. Jordan and Jordan 
Family Endowment. Over the years, the Jordan family has contributed 
$130,000 to the endowment, supporting six to seven students each year 
with $1,000 scholarships.
  Since the 1995 gift, Ag One and CAST have maintained a great 
relationship with the Jordan's, including representatives traveling to 
Hayward to visit the family and bring them news from the school 
regarding the students, campus and products. Since Mr. Jordan passed 
away, Mrs. Jordan has visited the

[[Page E1167]]

campus numerous times to meet with Jordan scholars, tour the campus 
agriculture facilities and to attend Ag One and athletic events. With 
the generosity of the family over the past fourteen years the most 
recent gift has exceeded all expectations. Earlier this year, the 
Jordan family sold their Dublin farm and gave $29 million to CAST; the 
largest single cash gift in the entire California State University 
system.
  This tremendous gift will be used for research and facilities for 
CAST. In great appreciation of this gift CSU Fresno will build upon the 
Jordan family legacy by renaming CAST to the Jordan College of 
Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Jordan family for the 
remarkable impact that they have had on agriculture for CSU Fresno, the 
Central Valley and the State of California through their multiple 
gifts. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring the Jordan family.

                          ____________________