David Starr Jordan was born in Gainesville, New York on January 19, 1851 to Hiram J. and Huldah Lake (Hawley) Jordan. He received his BA and MS degrees from Cornell University in 1872. In 1879 Jordan was hired as professor of Natural History at Indiana University, and in 1885 he was elected as the seventh president of IU. Jordan held that position until 1891, when he left IU to become Stanford University’s first president. Jordan died in 1931. The David Starr Jordan papers total 1.2 cubic feet and span the years 1874-1929. The Jordan papers are divided into two series: Correspondence and Publications, lectures, and addresses.
