William H. Jordan (born 1845 or 1846; died July 2, 1923) was an American herring merchant from

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

Early life

Jordan was born in

Rockport, Massachusetts Rockport is a seaside New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,992 in 2020. Rockport is located approximately northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula. Rockport borders Gloucester ...

. When he was about three years old his family moved to Gloucester. He enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

on September 15, 1862, and was discharged as a corporal on July 18, 1864.

Business career

For many years Jordan was the leading herring merchant in the United States. The ''Boston Daily Globe'' described him as "one of the most aggressive, daring and progressive men in the fishing business". He began his career in the fishing industry with the firm of Pettengill & Cunningham. He later worked as a clerk for Smith & Rowe. He then became a junior partner in the firm of Rowe & Jordan with Captain Joseph Rowe. When Rowe retired, Jordan ran the business under the name of W. H. Jordan & Co. He was heavily involved in the herring and mackerel business in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. His schooner, the ''Grayling'', was one of the most advanced of its time.

Politics

In 1899, President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

, based on the recommendation of U.S. Representative William Henry Moody, nominated Jordan for the position of Collector of Customs for the Port of Gloucester. His nomination was opposed by ex-collector William A. Pew who sought to return to the position. Jordan was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and was reappointed by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in 1904 and 1908. In 1911, U.S. Representative

Augustus Peabody Gardner Augustus Peabody Gardner (November 5, 1865 – January 14, 1918) was an American military officer and Republican Party politician from Massachusetts. He represented the North Shore region in the Massachusetts Senate and United States House of Re ...

chose to base his recommendation for collector on balloting in Gloucester. Jordan was challenged for the position by Gloucester Republican City Committee Chairman Ralph W. Dennen. Jordan won the race handily, however, there was ample evidence that many of the ballots turned in were filled out fraudulently. As a result of this fraud, Gardner refused to recommend Jordan. However, because he believed Jordan would still have won without the fraudulent ballots, he refused to recommend Dennen as well. Instead he recommended that Walter F. Osborne be nominated for the position. Jordan went to Washington to make a case for his reappointment. After Jordan's presentation, President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

was torn between the two men. However, he chose to appoint Osborne based on the recommendation of

Treasury Secretary The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Franklin MacVeagh. Jordan was also a member of the Gloucester School Committee for 40 years.

Death

Jordan died on July 2, 1923, at his home in Gloucester.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, William H. 1840s births 1923 deaths American fishers Collectors of the Port of Gloucester Massachusetts Republicans People from Gloucester, Massachusetts Union Army non-commissioned officers Year of birth uncertain