Houston, Texas (February 21, 1936 -January 17, 1996) age 59 yrs

Barbara Charline Jordan was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction. Additionally, she was the first Southern African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. She was also one of the first two African Americans elected to the U.S. House from the former Confederacy since 1901. Barbara Jordan was the first African American woman elected to the Texas State Senate. Rep. Barbara C. Jordan is best remembered for her defense of the Constitution during the impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Jordan’s involvement in the House Judiciary Committee increased her reputation as a national leader. The hearings she participated in led to the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.