President Emeritus I. King Jordan appointed by President Obama to administrative post
The White House announced on Tuesday, April 6. 2010 that Gallaudet President
Emeritus I. King Jordan has been appointed by President Barack Obama to
serve on the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Dr. Jordan will serve on
the commission alongside 11 other similarly appointed individuals and the
national teacher of the year.
The Commission on Presidential Scholars is a group of eminent private
citizens appointed by the president to select and honor presidential
scholars. Commissioners are selected from across the country, representing
the fields of education, medicine, law, social services, business, and other
professions. The commissioners make the difficult choices of selecting
scholars from an initial pool of approximately 3,000 candidates who
demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in academics and the arts, and an
outstanding commitment to public service.
“The Commission on Presidential Scholars is charged with recognizing the
future leaders of our country and honoring them for their outstanding
achievements,” said Obama. “I am grateful that these impressive men and
women have agreed to serve on this commission and help a new generation
realize their potential and pursue their dreams.”
Jordan was the first deaf president of Gallaudet. He joined the faculty of
Gallaudet’s Department of Psychology in 1973. He became chair of the
Department in 1983, and three years later he was appointed dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences. He served as the University’s president from
1988-2006 and is presently president emeritus. Jordan is a recipient of the
U.S. Presidential Citizen’s Medal; he was appointed as vice chair of the
President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in 1990, and
he was reappointed to this position in 1993. Jordan earned a B.A. in
psychology from Gallaudet in 1970. The following year he earned an M.A., and
in 1973 he earned a Ph.D., both degrees in psychology and both from the
University of Tennessee.
See the link for the list of President Obama’s Commission on Presidential
Scholars appointees.