On November 27, 2018, I posted an article entitled “The Atheists vs the Cross”. The American Humanist Association had challenged the “Peace Cross” in Bladensburg, Maryland, a monument erected in 1925 to honor men from Prince Georges County who died in the Great War. The Humanists argued that the monument violated the Establishment Clause of […]
Bigotry is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life.” Merriam-Webster describes a bigot as “a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices — especially one who regards or […]
For years we have suffered from the incredible volume of junk mail delivered by our carriers. Usually, after each mail delivery I stand by the trash basket and sort through the material. Most of the items are immediately assigned to the trash, and more than half of the remaining items are discarded after examination. Finding […]
A few weeks after our move to Columbia, Maryland, in the fall of 1967, I flew out of Dulles airport on my first trip to Europe. The purpose of the trip was for me to introduce some of our overseas personnel to a new research tool that I had developed at NSA. My initial stop […]
We moved from Berwyn Heights to the new city of Columbia, Maryland, in October 1967. Ann had been following news of the plans for Columbia several years and was very eager to move there. I shared her enthusiasm. Ours was one of the first hundred or so families to move to Columbia, and we were […]
My father’s name was Robert Saunders Jordan. His maternal grandfather was Saunders Slate, and he was nicknamed Sandy. My father was also called Sandy. That nickname was used so exclusively that eventually he turned his formal name to Saunders Robert Jordan. When I came along, I was named Edwin Saunders Jordan (the Edwin after my […]
Building a family together with the one you love is not all peaches and cream. Life can be tough, and marriage takes real commitment, hard work and a touch of humor. My dear wife Ann was very efficient and energetic. As I admitted to her on more than one occasion, she could outwork me […]
On February 7th I attended a memorial service for a recently deceased friend. It was a beautiful service, filled with Biblical scriptures, uplifting music, and loving tributes from my friend’s children. The message from the scriptures and from the pastor’s homily emphasized the promise of eternal life. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; […]
Everyone has stories of family adventures that will never be forgotten. The name of Magruder Park in Hyattsville, Maryland, is written in my memory. Our first experience with Magruder came on July 4, 1962. Ann and I heard that they had a good Independence Day fireworks display at Magruder, so Ann and I and our […]
In January 1958, a few months after our move to Greenbelt, Maryland, I decided to return to college to pursue my PhD in history. There would be several advantages to me in doing this. First, it could help me advance in my career at NSA. Second, someday I might wish to return to academia and […]
Jordans-Journey 