Topic: Jordan Hamilton

William Hamilton McWhorter Jordan (September 21, 1944 – May 20, 2008) was Chief of Staff to President of the United States Jimmy Carter.

Jordan (who pronounced his last name to rhyme with "burden" instead of "warden") was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in Albany, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and graduated with an A.B. in Political Science in 1967. After being disqualified from military service due to leg problems, he worked as a civilian volunteer in Vietnam during the war there, assisting refugees.

Jordan was a key advisor and strategist for Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign and during Carter's administration, serving as White House Chief of Staff in 1979-1980 (Carter, who took office in 1977, had previously not seen the need formally to appoint an aide to such a post). Jordan played a powerful role in the formulation of election strategies and government policies.