Dr. William D. "Bill" Jordan

Arrangements under the direction of Heritage Dr. William D. "Bill" Jordan, age 89, of Tuscaloosa died April 3, 2011. Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Covenant Presbyterian Church with Rev. Rick Olson officiating and Heritage Chapel Funeral Home & Cremations, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church. A reception celebrating his life will be held for friends and neighbors of Capstone Village at a later date.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. John B. Jordan and Leona Sanders Jordan, both of Pickens County; and by his brothers, John B. Jordan, Jr., of Birmingham, Glen Sanders Jordan of Meridian, Miss., and Dr. J. Erskine Jordan of Gordo.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Carolyn Carter Jordan of Tuscaloosa; son, William D. Jordan, Jr. (Carlotta) of Hendersonville, N.C.; daughters, Lucy Jordan Altherr (Jack) of Greensboro, Ga. and Rebecca Jordan Pow (William) of Tuscaloosa; grandchildren, Carrie Altherr Jennings (Hank), Jonathan

Altherr, Alex Pow (Allison), and Jordan (J.P.) Pow; and great-grandchildren, Audrey Jennings, Henry Jennings, and Caileigh Nicks. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Pat Jordan of Meridian, Miss., Betty Jordan Coan of Decatur, and Barbara Jordan of Gordo; and cousin, Mrs. Claire Shepherd of Knoxville, Tenn. Nieces and nephews include Sandy Jordan, JoAnne Jordan Weems, Susan Jordan McWilliams, Bebe Jordan Brown, Lee Ann Jordan, Jimmy Jordan, Ronnie Carter, and Gary Carter.

Dr. Jordan was a native of Pickens County, born Feb. 5, 1922. After the death of his mother in 1929, he was reared for seven years by an aunt, Mrs. Joe Shepherd, in Tuscaloosa. After the remarriage of his father, he moved to Montgomery and completed Sidney Lanier High School in 1938. He enrolled in The University of Alabama and received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1942. His other college degrees include an M.S. in Civil Engineering (U of A) in 1949, and a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (University of Illinois) in 1952.

While in college, he was a member of Kappa Alpha, Phi Eta Sigma, Jasons, Theta Tau, Tau Beta Pi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon, Pi Tau Sigma, Sixma Xi, the "A" Club (track), and Scabbard and Blade. He was a Cadet Colonel in ROTC. He received the Theta Tau Award as the "Most Outstanding Senior Engineer" in 1942.

Following graduation, he was ordered to active duty as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He served during 1942-1946 and returned to The University of Alabama to earn a graduate degree. After active duty, he remained in the Anny Reserve for 31 years, retiring as a colonel. He served as

President of the Tuscaloosa Chapter of the Reserve Officers Association and as President of the West Alabama Retired Officers Association.

Dr. Jordan became a member of The University of Alabama College of Engineering faculty in 1946 as an Instructor of Engineering Mechanics, and he remained on the faculty until his retirement in 1986. During that time, he rose through the academic ranks to the position of Professor and served as a department head for 25 years. He received several awards for outstanding teaching and was one of the earliest faculty members to acquire outside sponsorship for research. At various times, he held leadership positions in regional and national engineering societies. He was elected a Fellow Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was selected as the Engineer of the Year by the Tuscaloosa Chapter and by the State Chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He was selected as a Distinguished Engineering Fellow by the College of Engineering, University of Alabama.

Following retirement, the UA College of Engineering named the Materials Testing Laboratory after him, and an endowed fund was established by his family and friends for support of the program in Engineering Mechanics. Later, a former student, Thomas Patterson, established the William D. Jordan Endowed Chair in the College of Engineering in his honor.

Dr. Jordan was involved with a number of community organizations and served as President of the Tuscaloosa Exchange Club, President of the University Club, and President of the Tuscaloosa Metropolitan YMCA. He was a member of the Apollo Club and Indian Hills Country Club.

Dr. Jordan was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, serving as Deacon, Elder, and Sunday School teacher for more than 30 years. He was chairman of the building committee when the present sanctuary was built, and he served on several Presbytery and Synod Committees. He was also active with Covenant's Meals on Wheels ministry for many years.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to Covenant Presbyterian Church, Meals on Wheels, the University of Alabama College of Engineering, or the charity of one's choosing.

Chapel Funeral Home, Tuscaloosa, AL.