Recognizing Dr. I. King Jordan for his contributions to Gallaudet University and the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Keller and I especially thank Mr. Kind for introducing this. This was really Ron's idea to honor President Jordan; and I know that the university and the people there are very, very appreciative, Ron, of your thinking to honor Dr. Jordan.

I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Chairman McKeon and his staff. I want to thank the majority leader's office. The truth is, ordinarily we don't do these kinds of resolutions, but because of the importance of the work of Dr. Jordan, the chairman of the full committee and the majority leader's office agreed that we could have this resolution brought forward.

This resolution will be presented tonight by some of us who will be at a fund-raiser at Gallaudet University where some very outstanding Republican basketball players and some outstanding Democratic basketball players will be participating in a basketball game at Gallaudet University. And I hope that some of us, including Mr. Kind and Lynn and others, will have a chance to present this resolution to Dr. Jordan.

Dr. Jordan became the first deaf president of Gallaudet University in 1988 after the students and people in the community came forward and said they wanted a deaf president. And at the end of the protest, the Gallaudet board named Dr. Jordan president.

He is from Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania. He spent 4 years in the Navy after high school.

Dr. Jordan, as was mentioned, was in a car accident when he was 21 years old that left him deaf. He received a BA degree in psychology from Gallaudet in 1970. In 1971, Dr. Jordan received his MA in psychology from the University of Tennessee. He also received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1973.

Once he completed his education, Dr. Jordan began teaching in the Gallaudet Department of Psychology. He became chair of the department in 1983 and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1986.

Dr. Jordan has also been a research fellow at the Donaldson's School for the Deaf in Edinburgh, Scotland; an exchange scholar in Krakow, Poland; and a visiting scholar and lecturer at schools in Paris, Toulouse, and Marseille, France.

He lobbied for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and was a lead witness in support of the ADA during a joint session of Congress. President Jordan, as was mentioned, has raised nearly $40 million for Gallaudet between 1997 and 2001. The money has been used to strengthen the academic program, increase the endowment, and construct the Student Academic Center.

He also established the President's Fellow Program. The program is designed to increase the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing faculty members by providing support for deaf and hard-of-hearing college graduates to complete their degrees.

He has received 11 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the Presidential Citizen's Medal and the Washingtonian of the Year Award. Dr. Jordan has also served as the chair and vice-chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. In July 2005, he received the George Bush Medal for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities.

He will retire in December of this year, and his true partner in all of the work that he has been doing at Gallaudet has certainly been his wife, Linda. They have been married for almost 38 years.

I have had the privilege, along with a Democratic Member of the House, of serving on the board of directors of Gallaudet University. I was first appointed by Speaker Gingrich. In my district there is a school for the deaf, the only school for the deaf in Illinois, in Jacksonville, Illinois. So many of our students come here to Washington, and my interest in the school for the deaf in Jacksonville led to my interest in Gallaudet, and I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Jordan during the time of my tenure on the board of the directors at Gallaudet University, and what a privilege that it has been to work with him.

He is a true marathoner. Dr. Jordan has completed more than 200 marathons, 26 miles for a marathon, and 40 100-mile marathons. But he has completed the marathon of his life by doing the job that I am sure he always wanted, to be president of Gallaudet University; and he has been an inspiration for deaf people.

Each year I try to go to Gallaudet and visit with the students, and I can tell you he is an inspiration to the students there; and he is an inspiration, I think, to all of us and should be an inspiration to all Americans, that even with disabilities, you can do great things, and he surely has done great things.

So I want to add my congratulations to Dr. Jordan for a job well done, and I know he will not fade away. I know he will continue to work with the disability community and work around Washington, D.C. and do all that he can to improve those who have disabilities, particularly those who are hearing impaired.

And, again, Mr. Kind, thank you for your consideration in introducing this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his working with the chair to get this bill to the floor.

I am not on the committee of jurisdiction; so I want to particularly thank the committee for the honor. It is an unusual honor. We do not do this very often, what you do in bringing this resolution to the floor. And I want to give my thanks to Mr. LaHood and Ms. Woolsey, both, for the service they perform by serving on the board of this very important institution. The fact that there are two Members of Congress on the board of Gallaudet perhaps speaks for itself as to the importance of Gallaudet, chartered by the Congress of the United States and still an institution of great importance to the Congress.

I do want to say to the gentleman from Wisconsin and to those of you, if you are one of them, Mr. LaHood, who are going to be at the game this evening, I always come to this wonderful game. As it turns out, I am having a reception myself tonight for the National Teacher of the Year, the first time since the award was given. It was set up in 1952, that the National Teacher of the Year comes from the District of Columbia. So you fellows are going to have to get along without me.

When they asked me to come, they first asked me to be a member of the team. They really did not know what they were saying. I did volunteer to come, however, to be there to do whatever I could. In fact, if this reception is over, I do intend to stop by and to thank you also for that very important work.

As you have heard, Gallaudet is really one of a kind. It is an institution without peer, the only institution for people who are deaf and hard of hearing of higher education throughout the world. So it is very precious to those of us in the District of Columbia who then see people come from all over the world to come to this singular institution.

Now, there has got to be great sadness on the campus of Gallaudet even as we express our appreciation today. Dr. I. King Jordan was not simply an extraordinary educator. He came to his post through a vote of confidence before he even got there from the students who had a demonstration; and as a result of that demonstration, the board of trustees at that time thought about their decision, and Dr. Jordan became the first disabled person to head the university.

It is hard to overemphasize what this meant to us in the District of Columbia. We saw it as wonderful history-making for a history-making institution, but that paled besides the joy of the students. You can imagine if you are going to a university for the deaf and the hard of hearing to see a person of such accomplishments head your own university. It was invaluable, I am sure, in ways that we shall never understand and shall never know.

But then it was up to Dr. Jordan to prove himself, and I am here to tell you as a person who is very familiar with all the institutions, he continues to be a tenured professor of law at Georgetown, where I taught full time before coming to the Congress, and under Dr. Jordan this institution has prospered and grown to even more admiration than it already enjoyed.

In order for that to happen, Dr. Jordan had simply to show that he could do what presidents do, and he has done that to a fare-thee-well, from fund raising, which may be the most difficult to do especially since this university does receive some funding from the Federal Government.

But as my colleagues know from their own State university, that does not matter that much today. Presidents are supposed to get out here on the hustings the way everybody else does, the way that private universities always have. And here when Dr. Jordan did it not only like everybody else does but did it in extraordinary ways, you see evidence of it in the new construction on the campus. You see evidence of it in the way in which the excellence of the institution has even improved. It already had a stellar reputation, and you see it in a very important expansion for graduate education for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Dr. I. King Jordan has performed with the excellence that the students expected. They knew what he could do. They knew from his academic reputation, they knew from his background, what he could do. He has performed up to that standard and well beyond.

The resolution that my colleagues bring forward today could not be more well deserved, and I thank you once again for it. And I thank you for myself and I thank you for the residents of the District of Columbia, including the disabled students who, of course, are resident there during the time they attend Gallaudet.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Keller, as well as the chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Mr. McKeon, for their help in bringing the resolution before us today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a great American, I. King Jordan, who has dedicated his life to helping others. On December 31, at the end of this year, 2006, Dr. Jordan will retire as the first deaf president of Gallaudet University located here in Washington, D.C., the only institution of higher learning in the world serving primarily deaf and hard of hearing students. I am pleased to author this resolution with my colleagues Mr. Oxley, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. LaHood, and I thank them and the other cosponsors of this resolution for their support.

King Jordan's service to others began more than 4 decades ago when he served in the United States Navy from 1962 until 1966. He attended college at Gallaudet University after a car accident at the age of 21 left him deaf. He then went on to receive a doctorate in psychology in 1973, joined the faculty of Gallaudet University, and in 1988 he became its president. During his tenure at Gallaudet, Dr. Jordan raised nearly $40 million to grow the university endowment and to construct the student academic center. Also, he established the President's Fellow Program to provide support for deaf and hard of hearing college graduates to complete their advanced degrees, thus increasing the number of deaf and hard of hearing faculty members.

In addition to his work in academia, President Jordan was a lead witness before Congress supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act; and he continues to advocate on both the national and international levels for deaf people, as well as all people with disabilities.

In 2005, Dr. Jordan received the George H.W. Bush Medal honoring outstanding service under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Dr. Jordan is an inspiration to all Americans and his years of dedication to others undoubtedly deserve the recognition of this House of Representatives. We will miss his terrific leadership and his advocacy on behalf of all the students at Gallaudet University.

I would like to congratulate Dr. Jordan and his wife, Linda Kephart, for their many years of dedicated service and wish them a very long and happy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I also want to extend my thanks to Mr. LaHood, who has been instrumental in getting this resolution here to the floor today and for his tireless support for all the students at Gallaudet University.

The only thing I would add is that the Democratic team will be trying to defend our title on the parquet floor this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), one of the members of the board of trustees of Gallaudet University.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the true representative for Gallaudet University.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume just to conclude.

I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her very warm and gracious remarks on behalf of Dr. Jordan here today. I also know that my predecessor, Representative Steve Gunderson, who also served on the board at Gallaudet University, would join us today in honoring the career of Dr. Jordan. It was Steve Gunderson who first introduced me to the wonderful work that is taking place at that university under the terrific leadership that I have personally witnessed throughout the years, and I know he joins us in support of the resolution.

Finally, I would mention too that the minority whip, Mr. Hoyer from Maryland, who has been a good friend of Dr. Jordan, a strong supporter and friend of the university, was hoping to come down here and personally extend his warm remarks for Dr. Jordan's retirement. He is tied up right now.

I am sure he will be extending his remarks for the record. With that, I thank the gentleman for his support of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my strong support for H. Res. 680 and to pay tribute to the long and distinguished career of Dr. I. King Jordan, the first deaf President of Gallaudet University. Dr. Jordan's compelling life story, keen intellect, and unbridled passion have combined to make him an extraordinary educational leader, one of our nation's foremost advocates for people with disabilities, and an international leader and role model for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Over the 18 years that he has served as University President, as well as his years as

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the Psychology Department, Gallaudet University has thrived under Dr. Jordan's leadership. Gallaudet is the world's only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed for deaf and hard of hearing students. As President, Dr. Jordan dramatically expanded the University's endowment, improved and expanded academic programs, added new facilities, and recruited world-class faculty and administrators.

I got to know Dr. Jordan during the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in 1990. Dr. Jordan was a lead witness during a joint session of Congress and delivered key testimony, which was instrumental to the passage of this landmark civil rights legislation.

Dr. Jordan has never relented in his commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. Last year, I was privileged to join Dr. Jordan in receiving the George Bush Medal for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities. That distinguished award is just one of the many that Dr. Jordan has received for his work. His numerous accomplishments and awards include no fewer than eleven honorary degrees, the Washingtonian of the Year, the James L. Fisher Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Larry Stewart Award from the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership, and the U.S. Presidential Citizens Medal.

In 1990, President George Bush appointed Dr. Jordan Vice-Chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD), and in 1993 he was later reappointed as Vice-Chair by President Clinton of this influential body that made national recommendations on issues of employment.

Dr. Jordan recently announced that he will retire as Gallaudet's first deaf President on December 31, 2006. While the University will be losing a remarkable leader, I know that Dr. Jordan will continue to be a driving force in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Jordan on behalf of the millions of individuals he has helped and inspired throughout his career. His tireless efforts have improved not only Gallaudet University, but also our nation and our world. I wish Dr. Jordan the best of luck in his retirement. His leadership and legacy will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 680) recognizing Dr. I. King Jordan for his contributions to Gallaudet University and the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 680.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 680, which recognizes the contributions of Dr. I. King Jordan to Gallaudet University and the deaf and hard of hearing community. Dr. Jordan retires as president of Gallaudet at the end of this year, and this resolution provides us the opportunity to acknowledge his significant achievements. I want to thank the resolution's author, Mr. Kind, for drawing our attention to Dr. Jordan's accomplishments and his status as one of America's leaders in the fields of higher education and disability policy.

When Dr. Jordan was appointed president by the Gallaudet Board of Trustees in 1988 he became the first deaf president of the university. Dr. Jordan's leadership of Gallaudet has heightened awareness of the contributions made by the university and the issues facing the deaf and hard of hearing community. During his time as president, Dr. Jordan has been a visible spokesman for the university and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, as well as a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.

Dr. Jordan has been a leader in national efforts to address the needs of people with disabilities. In 2001 he was awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal. This award, conferred by the President of the United States in recognition of individuals who have performed exemplary deeds or service for the country, acknowledged Dr. Jordan's efforts to promote self-determination and full integration of all people with disabilities.

I want to extend my congratulations to Dr. Jordan and wish him well in his retirement. I know that Gallaudet University will miss his leadership, and I can only hope that he will continue to be involved as an advocate for people with disabilities.

I want to, again, thank Mr. Kind for bringing this resolution forward and providing us this opportunity to acknowledge Dr. Jordan's achievement.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

(Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.