Lawyer and Washington power broker Vernon Jordan was born on August 15, 1935,
in Atlanta. Graduating with honors from David T. Howard High School in 1953, he
went on to attend DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he was the
only African American student in his class. At DePauw, Jordan participated in
the student senate, won statewide honors in speaking competitions, played
basketball and graduated in 1957. He then entered Howard University School of
Law, receiving his J.D. in 1960.
Jordan returned to Atlanta starting his legal career working with the civil
rights movement. In 1961, he helped organize the integration of the University
of Georgia and personally escorted student Charlayne Hunter through a hostile
white crowd. Over the next ten years, Jordan held various positions as a civil
rights advocate. He served as the Georgia field secretary for the NAACP;
director of the Voter Education Project for the Southern Regional Council; head
of the United Negro College Fund; and as a delegate to President Lyndon B.
Johnson's White House Conference on Civil Rights.
In 1971, Jordan was appointed president and CEO of the National Urban League,
where he spearheaded the organization's growth. On May 29, 1980, a white
supremacist attempted to kill Jordan. After a successful recuperation, in 1981
Jordan resigned from the National Urban League to take a position as legal
council with the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Akin, Gump,
Strauss, Hauer and Feld. His active practice includes corporate, legislative
and international clients. Jordan's close friend is former President Bill
Clinton and during Clinton's presidency, Jordan became one of Washington's most
influential power brokers. Currently he is a partner in the investment firm of
Lazard Frere & Company in New York.
Jordan has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the
Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way of America in 1977 for his
dedication to volunteerism. In 2001, Jordan published his autobiography, Vernon
Can Read! to widespread praise. He has also authored a weekly newspaper column
syndicated to more than 300 newspapers and serves as a frequent television
guest and commentator. Jordan is an active on various corporate boards and has
had various presidential appointments.
