The Family Man – The Politician – The Legend
Born May 5, 1943, to the late Raymond A. Jordan, Sr., and Emma (Norman), Ray Jordan was a lifelong resident of Springfield and a product of Springfield Public Schools. He was a graduate of Springfield Technical High School, a school that maintained a special place in Jordan’s heart throughout his life.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. In addition to those degrees, Jordan was conferred honorary degrees by American International College, Springfield College and Westfield State University.
Jordan’s ferocious dedication for justice and civil rights stood out and eventually earned him the moniker “barracuda,” a name he would live up throughout his career. From 1975 to 1994, Jordan served in the Legislature as the State Representative of the 11th Hampden District. During his tenure, he chaired the formidable Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development. In 1994, President William Jefferson Clinton selected Jordan to serve as the New England States Liaison for Faith-Based for Community Initiatives for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Jordan held the position until his retirement in 2012.
Jordan’s service continued long after his retirement, however. For many years, Jordan served as vice-chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party (MDP), coming into the distinction of longest serving vice-chairman. He was made Vice-Chairman Emeritus in 2019. Named a superdelegate, Jordan was granted freedom by the MDP to support any presidential candidate nomination at the party’s national convention, a privilege and responsibility he took great pride and care in.
Jordan made history throughout his political career. He had the distinct honor of becoming the Commonwealth of Massachusetts first black state representative and was the first African American to serve as president of the Electoral College in Massachusetts. In that he role, Jordan presided over the casting of Massachusetts votes for President-elect Barack Obama.
His achievements in highbrow politics, however, cannot overshadow the impact Jordan’s work had on the community in which he lived. In 1992, Jordan founded 5A football, a program that touched scores of youths, ultimately resulting in college football scholarships for many of them. In 1968, he was co-founder of the Harambee Holiday Incorporated, an annual cultural festival drawing crowds of thousands to the community’s center.
In 2011 he founded the Brethren Community Foundation, an organization designed to support education and literacy programs for low-income youth as well as the health and welfare of seniors. In 2021, he was named President Emeritus of the Brethren Community Foundation.
Four years ago, the City of Springfield built and opened The Raymond A. Jordan Senior Center, an honor that cemented Jordan’s more than 50 years of community service and activism, especially in the interest of seniors.
Ray Jordan – We Will Miss You!
