Vernon Jordan, the civil rights activist and power broker in Washington, whose private lawyer was sought out by both the powerful in the upper echelons of government and those in the corporate world, died Monday at his home in Washington. He was 85 years old.
Her death was confirmed in a statement from Vickee Jordan, her daughter.
Lord Jordan he started his civil rights career after graduating from Howard University School of Law and was selected to lead the Urban League in 1971, still in his 30s.
While there, he regularly began to associate and advise leading political figures.
His closest relationship was with Bill Clinton, whom he befriended years before he was elected president in 1992. Jordan was chosen to be co-president of the transition effort and immediately became the confidant and golf friend of the president, a member from many corporate boards and a well-paid lobbyist at one of Washington’s most politically engaged law firms.
A complete obituary will be published soon.