For
a time in ancient Rome there was a governmental official whose duty was to protect
the rights of the people; he was called a tribune. After the televised Watergate
Hearings in 1974 the world came to know Congresswoman Barbara Jordan for what
she has always been, a tribune for the people.
Ms. Jordan was a graduate
of Texas Southern University and the Boston College School of Law. She has served
with distinction in the Texas legislature from 1966-1972 and in the U.S. House
of Representatives from 1972-1978.
One of her major achievements
in Congress was providing leadership in enacting amendments to the 1964 Voting
Rights Act. These amendments expanded its coverage and made provisions for printing
bilingual ballots.
After retiring from Congress,
Ms. Jordan became a professor and was awarded the Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial
Chair in National Policy at the University of Texas' Lyndon B. Johnson School
of Public Affairs.
As one might expect, Ms.
Jordan has received many awards and honors for her achievements, for example,
the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, the Harry S. Truman Public Service Award and 29
honorary Ph.D. degrees from various universities. In 1976, Time magazine named
her one of "Ten Women of the Year" and the Democratic Party selected her to
give the keynote address at its National Convention in New York City.
She was also appointed to
the Texas women's Hall of Fame. In 1991, Texas Governor Ann Richards named her
special counsel on ethics. Ms. Jordan jokingly calls herself "the ethics guru."
Her task is to monitor the ethical practices of state officials and to help
create more tribunes.
