I. King Jordan | |
---|---|
8th President of Gallaudet University | |
In office March 13, 1988 – December 31, 2006 | |
Preceded by | Elisabeth Zinser |
Succeeded by | Robert Davila |
Personal details | |
Born | Irving King Jordan June 16, 1943 Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Spouse |
Linda Kephart (m. 1967) |
Irving King Jordan (born June 16, 1943) is an American educator who became the first deaf president of Gallaudet University in 1988 after the Deaf President Now protest. Gallaudet is the world's only university with all programs and services designed specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
After the week-long protest known as Deaf President Now, the Board reversed its decision and named Jordan, one of three finalists for the position, the eighth president of Gallaudet, the first deaf president since the institution was established in 1864.[1][2]
He appears in the 2011 disability rights documentary Lives Worth Living.