Dr. Eugene Jordan was many things in his life which ended, sadly, in 2020 at the age of 83. He served the communities of Cleveland and East Cleveland by providing quality, professional dental services to those who couldn’t afford care. Dr. Jordan was well-respected and served as the 69th president of the National Dental Association
He and his siblings were raised in Columbus by their widower father who was a maintenance worker for the City of Columbus. He attended the Ohio State University and graduated from Capital University in Columbus with an undergraduate degree in biology.
After a stint with the Army Medical Corps, he worked his way through Howard University Dental School leading to his dental practice.
But his contributions to the community go far beyond his dental services. He was also a beloved civil and human rights activist and Black History historian.
Dr. Jordan was a loyal and lifelong member of the NAACP where he served 20 years on the executive board of the Cleveland chapter. He worked with the NAACP and helped establish Juneteenth and Black History celebrations in Northeast Ohio.
at Phase 1 of the African-American Cultural Garden
He was vice president of the African-American Cultural Garden in Cleveland and led the activist group the Underground Railroad. He marched in the Cleveland Umoja Parades. He was a mainstay at the annual Black History Month Flag Raising ceremony at Cleveland City Hall where he spoke about the ancestors who brought him to that point and the young people who would take the next steps.
When very few people outside of Texas and Oklahoma had ever heard of Juneteenth, Dr. Jordan (along with Khalid Samad, Carl Ewing and a few others) told the story and pushed for its celebration. Now Juenteenth is a federal holiday.
Dr. Jordan is survived by his second wife, Bernice Jordan, three grown children, Dr. Joy Jordan of East Cleveland and Dr. Martin Jordan of Cleveland, both of them dentists like their father, Dr. Michael Jordan of Phoenix, Arizona, a psychiatrist, and three grandchildren, Mica, Mariah, and Michael Eugene Jordan.
Dr. Eugene Jordan loved the people of his community and brought them tangible (dentistry) and intangible (education, pride) services. Rest in Peace Dr. Jordan.
The April 23, 2024 induction event at Windows on the River was a sell out with 500 people in attendance.
Dr. Jordan was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. who is an American pastor, theologian, speaker, author, and activist. Moss is well known for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and his friendship with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther King Sr. He was regional director of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, leading several campaigns to fight various forms of discrimination and segregation. He also participated in the Selma, Alabama civil rights march with King, whom he became close friends with. In 1975 he became pastor of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, which was then the largest black church in the state of Ohio. He led the church for 33 years before retiring in 2008. He was inducted himself into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Here is the video of entire Cleveland International Hall of Fame ceremony. You can jump to about 1:10:10 to watch Dr. Jordan being inducted by Rev Moss Jr. and his children accepting the award.
Enjoy these images of Dr. Jordan’s family and friends from the Cleveland International Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Dr. Otis Moss Jr. to the stage
with the Jordan children on stage
