Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....Jordan, David Starr 
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 26, 2010, 1:27 pm

Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages  88 - 89
Author: The Lewis Publishing Company

     DAVID STARR JORDAN. When Leland Stanford asked President Eliot of Harvard 
and President White of Cornell to recommend a man to be first president of 
Leland Stanford Junior University, they both named a young and relatively 
unknown scholar — David Starr Jordan. Under his able supervision Stanford 
University was organized and developed. From 1891 until 1913 he was president; 
from 1913 to 1916 chancellor, and he enjoyed the title of president emeritus 
until his death, September 19, 1931.

     When Doctor Jordan came to California to take charge of the new 
university he found that it had been nicknamed "the red-tiled principality" 
because of its architecture and its rich endowment. He decided to make it a 
democracy of education.

     He was educated at Cornell, Indiana Medical College and Butler 
University. Before becoming president of Stanford he was instructor in botany 
in Cornell, professor of natural history at Lombard University, professor of 
biology at Butler University, professor of zoology and president of Indiana 
University. He also studied with Agassiz, who had a profound influence upon 
him.

     It was Agassiz's method, when a student came to him, to let him study 
anything that struck his fancy. If the student asked him for guidance Agassiz 
would toss him a herring and say, "Study that !" The student would then apply 
himself to learning all he could about the herring and would report what he 
observed to his teacher. The latter would keep him studying that one thing 
until he had exhausted it, knowing that all knowledge is related and that one 
thing well learned is the first step towards learning everything.

     Doctor Jordan, applying Agassiz's method to Stanford University, 
introduced the elective system. "I don't care what you study," he told the 
students, "if you study it thoroughly."

     His own specialty was ichthyology, the study of fish; his thorough 
knowledge of that one subject — he became America's greatest authority in that 
field — gave him an equally thorough grasp of other problems. His interests 
were keen and varied. In addition to his countless contributions to science he 
wrote poetry, stories for children, passionate discussions of the futility and 
waste of war, articles and books on spelling reform, eugenics and a dozen 
other subjects.

     Because of the diversity of his interests, his thorough scholarship and 
his unconventional approach to the problems of education, he was one of the 
greatest university presidents this country has ever had. He established and 
maintained intimate contacts with his students; he was quite devoid of that 
chilling aloofness one frequently meets in men of intellect and high position.

     As assistant to the United States Fish Commission, as commissioner in 
charge of the fur seal and salmon investigation, and as director of fisheries 
in 1908-1910, he applied both his scientific knowledge and his executive skill 
in the interests of the whole country. From 1910 to 1914 Doctor Jordan was 
chief director of the World Peace Foundation. In 1915 he was president of the 
World Peace Conference and vice president of the American Peace Society. In 
1909 he was president of the American Society for the Advancement of Science. 
Many honorary degrees were conferred upon him by the universities of the world.

     Besides his technical and scientific works, he wrote many books of 
interest to laymen: "The Care and Culture of Man," "Footnotes to 
Evolution," "The Human Harvest," "Life's Enthusiasm," "The Religion of a 
Sensible American," "War and Waste," "War's Aftermath," and others.

     As a great biologist and scientist, as one of America's greatest 
educators and as a bold leader in the movement for world peace Doctor Jordan 
was among the foremost men of our time. Everything he did revealed his many 
sided personality. He humanized science and made education democratic and 
useful, without lowering the classic ideals. His test of truth included and 
transcended pragmatism. "Will it work?" he asked, and added: "Can you trust 
your life to it?" The workability of a truth is not enough: but if it works 
and if you can trust your life to it, then it is true indeed.

     Because of Doctor Jordan Stanford students possess both practical wisdom 
and idealistic vision; in Doctor Jordan they had an inspiring friend and wise 
counselor.—By Eric Howard. 

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