Amos Jordan

Amos Azariah “Joe” Jordan Jr. was a United States Army brigadier general. He was also a professor at the United States Military Academy for many years (the youngest professor in the history of the academy), former CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and a senior fellow at the Wheatley Institution of Brigham Young University. He is hailed as having “authored a definitive textbook on strategy.”[1]

He was born on February 11, 1922, in Twin Falls, Idaho. He grew up in Heyburn, Idaho. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor’s degree where he was the Academy’s senior ranking cadet his senior year (First Captain of the Corps of Cadets). He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He held a PhD in international affairs from Columbia University and won the university’s annual recognition for outstanding doctoral dissertation.

He was the advisor to several Presidents of the United States and cabinet officers as a senior official in the departments of State and Defense. He was honored with many awards, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, and the Military Academy's Distinguished Graduate Award. He received honorary degrees from Utah State University and Southern Utah University and was awarded the President's Medallion from Idaho State University. He was the recipient of the Days of '47 Pioneer of Progress Award for Education, Health and Humanitarian Assistance.

Jordan was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife, MarDeane, served missions to Hong Kong and BYU-Hawaii. They are the parents of six children.

Jordan passed away on June 7, 2018.