Harold Jordan, the first Black resident at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, died on December 26. He was 87 years old.
Dr. Jordan grandfather and great-grandfather were both doctors. He decided he wanted to follow in their footsteps at the age of 7.
A 1958 graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology, Dr. Jordan went on to earn his medical degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. He became a resident at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1964.
Dr. Jordan went on to serve as assistant commissioner for psychiatric services for the state of Tennessee. Later, he was appointed the first Black commissioner of the state’s mental health department.
After his public service, Dr. Jordan taught for 18 years at Meharry Medical College. He chaired the psychiatry department and served as acting dean of the School of Medicine.
