LOOKING BACK

Willard T. Jordan is remembered in Costa Mesa as a former council

member, a former mayor, a board member of the Boys Club of the Harbor

Area and a Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year.

His list of accomplishments and honors is extensive.

His reputation seems to be flawless.

And to this reporter, Jordan is, even before being all the great

things listed above, the architect of the building that we work in.

The Des Moines, Iowa-native always wanted to be an architect but took

a detour to get to that career as he served in World War II, according to

former mayor Bob Wilson’s book “From Goat Hill to City of the Arts: The

History of Costa Mesa.” The service brought him to Newport Beach in 1941.

Jordan was a “strawberry-blonde redhead,” said George Grupe, a good

friend of his and Newport-Mesa historian.

But being a military man caused Jordan to move several times and

across coasts. Still, he and his wife Ruth moved back to Newport Beach in

1949. He finally got to work as an architect in Santa Ana and went to

school at the same time to learn about architectural engineering too,

Wilson’s book says.

Jordan got involved in community service, garnering a Santa Ana Man of

the Year award.

He started his Costa Mesa office in 1954. As a local businessman, he

got involved with the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Wilson’s book says.

Grupe, a Newport Beach resident and a normally mellow, even-toned

speaker, gave a glowing and animated account of his friend.

“Willard Jordan was a great great guy, you can quote me on that,”

Grupe said. “I never heard anybody say anything but the very best about

him, and that’s hard to happen to you if you’re the mayor of the city.”.

Jordan’s architectural projects included the Daily Pilot building on

West Bay Street, senior citizen buildings, fire stations and others.

He started dipping into city politics in the fifties as he served

first on the Planning Commission and then on the City Council. His

service to the council lasted more than ten years. He was mayor from 1966

to 1968, according to Wilson’s book.

Much as he had in Santa Ana, Jordan soon began sweeping all kinds of

service awards and promotions. Orange Coast College gave him the

Outstanding Citizen’s Award for Distinguished Community Service in the

early ‘70s, he was president of the Men’s Club of the Costa Mesa Golf and

Country Club in the late ‘60s and his Man of the Year Award from the

Costa Mesa Chamber was granted in the late ‘70s, to name a few of

Jordan’s honors.

He died in 1981, Wilson’s book says, but the city continued paying

tribute to him in various ways.

* Do you know of a person, place or event that deserves a historical

Look Back? Let us know. Contact Young Chang by fax at (949) 646-4170;

e-mail at young.chang@latimes.com; or mail her at c/o Daily Pilot, 330 W.

Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.