Jerald M. Jordan, the 5th president of CISS, was born in Roseville, Michigan, on July 7, 1927. He became deaf at seven years old due to spinal meningitis. After attending various schools in Michigan, he attended Gallaudet College and graduated in 1948. He worked at both Washington, D.C. newspapers for 11 years after graduating before quitting. He got a job at Gallaudet College’s Preparatory Department, teaching Science in 1959. Then he moved to the main campus in 1961, teaching Mathematics, and became director of the Computing Center until 1973. He changed his position as he was appointed the College’s Project Talent Search director in 1973. He got a new job at Admission Office in 1976. Jordan became the 5th president of CISS in 1971, and he was the first American to hold the position. He was elected a member of the CISS Executive committee in 1967. He continued to hold the position until 1995, retiring as president of CISS. He served as president for 24 years and executive committee for 28 years. In 1986, Jordan received the CISS Gold Medal in recognition of his years of service on the CISS Executive committee. In 1995, Jordan was given the title as an Honorary Life Member of CISS and served as a CISS Legal Commission member.

Agency History

Comite International des Sports des Sourds (CISS), International Committee on Silent Sports in English, was founded on August 16, 1924, in Paris, France, after the First International Games for the Deaf. Two men, E. Ruben Alcais of France and Antoine Dresse of Belgium, formed this organization to promote athletic competition among deaf people globally, incorporating the ideals of the Olympics. There were only six presidents of this organization in its entire history. To play in the WGD, a nation must be a member of CISS. In the first World Games of the Deaf (WGD), formerly known as International Games for the Deaf, in 1924 in Paris, there were only six member countries, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Holland and Poland, and the membership grew to 72 countries with 2068 athletes competing in the 18th Games in Denmark in 1997. In 1951, International Olympics Committee (IOC) officially recognized CISS as the only organization responsible for running the deaf world games.