Generations of Pride - Texas Southern University

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Barbara Jordan TimelineSource: TSU ArchivesSource: TSU Archivescontinued:houses, but they were allowed to attend services at GoodHope Missionary Baptist Church. It was here that Barbarabecame comfortable performing in front of crowds as sheoften found herself singing for parishioners. Because shewas born at a time when “separate but equal” was the law ofthe land, she never imagined there could ever be a time whensegregation would not exist.By the time Barbarareached Phillis WheatleyHigh School, she was wellversed in the art of oratory.She joined the school’sdebate team and ferventlyspoke on myriad topicsthat were close to her heart.Barbara Jordan in Congress. Aside from this extra curricularactivity, she had littleinterest in school and her grades suffered until time grewnear for her to consider attending college. While many of herfriends aspired to have careers as teachers, Barbara decidedto chart her own path by goinginto law even though shewas not at all sure what practicinglaw entailed. Insteadof following in her sisters’footsteps by attending PrairieView A&M University,she stayed close to home tomatriculate at Texas SouthernUniversity.Once on campus Barbaraflocked to what was familiar,the debate team. She and herteammates traveled aroundthe country competingagainst, and beating, debatersfrom some of the most prestigiousschools in the U.S.Barbara also joined the DeltaSigma Theta Sorority, Inc.While she was busy gettingused to college life, the Supreme Court made a unanimousruling that separate but equal was unconstitutional in thecase of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka.Barbara was ecstatic although it would take a while for thelaw to go into affect.1936 Born February 21 in Houston, TX1952 Graduated from Phillis Wheatley HighSchool1956 Graduated magna cum laude from TexasSouthern University1959 Graduated from Boston University LawSchool1960 Taught at Tuskegee Institute1961-1966 Practiced law in her offi ce on LyonsAvenue in Houston1962 Ran for Texas House of Representatives1964 Ran for Texas House of Representatives1965 Served as administrative assistant to HarrisCounty Judge William Elliot1967 Sworn in as fi rst black state senator in Texassince 18831971 Barbara Jordan Day proclaimed by HoustonMayor Louie Welch, October 11972 Governor for the Day, June 10Elected to the United States House ofRepresentatives1973 Appointed to Judiciary Committee1974 Reelected to 2nd term in U.S. House ofRepresentatives1974 Among distinguished Congressmen ondiplomatic mission to China1976 Delivered keynote address at DemocraticNational ConventionReelected to 3rd term in U.S. House ofRepresentatives1978 Retired from Congress1979 Accepted Lyndon B. Johnson Public ServiceProfessorship, UT Austin1982 Accepted Lyndon B. Johnson CentennialChair in National Policy, UT Austin1985 Main Post Offi ce in Houston dedicated toBarbara C. JordanServed on 11-member panel appointed byU.N. Secretary General to conduct hearingson the role of multinational corporations inSouth Africa and Namibia1986 Named by The World Almanac as “One ofthe 25 Most Infl uential Women in America”for 12th consecutive year1992 Keynote Address, Democratic NationalConvention1994 Chair of U.S. Commission on ImmigrationReformAwarded Presidential Medal of Freedom- Courtesy of The Capitol Complex Visitors Center.14 Spring 2006 • Generations of Pride
After graduating from TSU, Barbara chose toattend Boston Law School as segregation preventedher from attending Harvard. Barbara wasthrown into a whole new world inBoston, one that did not includethe familiar faces fromhome. She felt she had towork harder just to catch upto where the other studentswere starting from academically.Once Barbara earnedher law degree, she movedback to Houston where sheopened up her own firm. She gother first taste of politics when shevolunteered to work on the presidential campaignfor John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Shewas hooked. Her first attempt to enter politicswas when she ran for the Texas House of Representativesin 1962 at the suggestion of a friend.Although she was unsuccessful, Barbara remainedundaunted and later became the first black personelected to the Texas Senate since 1883. Shemade the conscious decision to dedicate her life topolitics and the push toward equality for all menand women. This victory was the firestorm thatled to many subsequent “firsts” for Barbara. Atthis time, she was 30 years old, an age when shewas expected to get married. Barbara made a consciousdecision to dedicate her life to politics andSource: TSU ArchivesBarbara Jordan during a Congressionalhearing.the push toward equality for all men and women.Subsequently, she never married.Barbara’s political career soared. As PresidentPro Tempore of the TexasSenate, she became the firstAfrican-American to serveas Governor of Texas for aday on June 10, 1972. Laterthat same year she becamethe first African-Americanwoman from the Southelected to Congress. Sheserved in this capacity until1979. Feeling constrained bythe confines of public office,Barbara decided not to runfor re-election, rather she dedicated her effortsto teaching at the Lyndon B. Johnson School ofPublic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austinfor 16 years.Barbara Jordan died on January 17, 1996.Affectionately called “BJ,” Barbara Jordanstood for the principles upon which her countrywas founded. She strived to represent her fellowcitizen to ensure that everyone in American hadthe opportunity of freedom. Her legacy will longbe remembered as her life represented a blueprintfor triumph, perseverance and true patriotism forthose who will follow in her footsteps.Source: Barbara Jordan: Self Portrait Doubleday, 1979TSU Remembers Barbara JordanThe Robert Terry Libraryopened a special exhibit“From TSU to the World:The Barbara Jordan Archives”in commemoration of the 10thAnniversary of the death of one ofTSU’s most outstanding alumnaand stateswoman on January17, 2006. Senatorial scrapbooks,photographs, selected speechesand the original furniture fromher Washington office, are partof the many remnants of Jordan’slife and legacy uniquely displayedUniversity archive exhibitin the archives Jordan bequeathed to theUniversity. Born and raised in Houston’sFifth Ward, Barbara Charline Jordan, thefirst African-American woman elected tothe Texas Senate, gained the attention of thenation and the world with her impassionedtestimony during the House JudiciaryCommittee hearings in 1974. In anothersignificant “first,” she delivered the keynoteaddress at the 1976 Democratic PartyConvention-the first Black woman to do soin the history of the organization.Generations of Pride • Spring 2006 15
Page 1 and 2: Generations ofTexas Southern Univer
Page 3 and 4: M ESSAGE FROMD R . THEOPHILUS HERRI
Page 5 and 6: TSU Installs State-of-the-Art Full-
Page 7 and 8: ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTSJa Ja BallM. Annet
Page 9 and 10: without much hesitation. In 1943, s
Page 11 and 12: Q&A with Judy Dyer:First on the Fie
Page 13: Source: TSU ArchivesPhoto by Annie
Page 17 and 18: Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School
Page 19 and 20: Former President George H. W. Bush
Page 21 and 22: RESEARCH SPOTLIGHTResearch Week 200
Page 23 and 24: Jose Cedillos, a student in the BJ-
Page 25 and 26: advocates who championed the cause
Page 27 and 28: Generations of Pride • Spring 200
Page 29 and 30: Keep in touchE-mail: tsualumni@tsu.
Page 31 and 32: TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITYNational A

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