Barbara Jordan Terminal: The Story Behind the Name

Travelers making their way through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport might notice the name of the main terminal: Barbara Jordan. But who was she, and why does her name greet millions of travelers each year?

The honorable Barbara Charline Jordan was, and continues to be, a heroine to many. In fact, Austin’s airport terminal was named in her honor.

Jordan was a trailblazer who broke many glass ceilings as she was:

  • The first Black woman elected to the Texas State Senate
  • The first Black woman to oversee a legislative body in the U.S. when elected President of the Texas State Senate
  • The first Black woman from the South elected to the U.S. Congress
  • The first woman and Black keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention

These "firsts" weren’t just titles; they were monumental shifts in representation and equality, deeply felt not only in Texas but across the nation.

Jordan was born on February 21, 1936, in Houston, Texas, and attended Houston public schools. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas Southern University in 1956 and a law degree from Boston University in 1959. With a passion for justice and equity, she began her legal career in 1960 and even worked on John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign.

In 1962 and 1964, Jordan ran for the Texas House of Representatives but lost both times. In 1966, Barbara ran for the Texas State Senate and won, becoming the first Black woman ever elected to the Texas State Senate.

In 1972, State Senator Jordan’s peers elected her President Pro Tempore of the Texas State Senate, making her the first Black woman in America to preside over a legislative body. Also in 1972, State Senator Jordan became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress from the South. 

Congresswoman Jordan received national recognition as a member of the Judiciary Committee considering Articles of Impeachment against President Nixon for the Watergate Scandal. She was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 18th District representing Greater Houston in 1974 and 1976. In 1976, she was the first woman and first Black keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

In 1979, Jordan did not seek a fourth term, retired from the U.S. Congress, and published her autobiography, Barbara Jordan: A Self-Portrait. She also began her 17-year career as a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, influencing the next generation of public servants.

In 1984, Jordan was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 1990, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. In 1994, President Clinton awarded Congresswoman Jordan the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Due to complications of pneumonia and leukemia, Jordan died on January 17, 1996, at the age of 59 in Austin, Texas. She became the first Black woman to be buried in Texas State Cemetery.

Americans and Texans alike still remember Jordan’s influential career and powerful oratory. In 1999, the City of Austin named its airport terminal the Barbara Jordan Terminal. It serves as a daily tribute to her enduring impact. As travelers arrive and depart through AUS, they are walking in the legacy of a leader who believed in justice, democracy and the power of a single voice to spark meaningful change.

From schools to state buildings, and more, Jordan’s name lives on. In 2011, the United States Postal Service named Jordan as the honoree of its Black Heritage stamp. Recently, in 2022, the State of Texas named its Department of Insurance building the Barbara Jordan State Office Building. She remains a powerful symbol of courage, leadership and perseverance.

In fact, Seated Heroic Sculpture of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, the Barbara Jordan statue located prominently on the Arrivals Level of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, is currently showcasing archival photographs and a timeline of Barbara Jordan’s life. This exhibit will be on view for the next year, as the Barbara Jordan statue is protected by the exhibit’s walls during the nearby Atrium Infill Project construction, which is part of the Journey With AUS Expansion Program.

More information on Barbara Jordan and sculptor Bruce Wolfe’s Seated Heroic Sculpture of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan can be found here.

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