Joseph J. Jordan

Joseph J. Jordan, Philadelphia architect and educator dies at 102 Saturday February 28th 2026.

Mr. Jordan became a pioneer in design for the elderly in the early 50’s, when he and Hanford Yang won an international competition for the design of a Home for the Aged. He became a consultant to the National Council on the Aging, which published his first two architectural books: Senior Center Facilities and Senior Center Design.

Thomas Hine, architectural critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote “Jordan calls himself an architect/gerontologist planning consultant, which means he will design – or advise on the design of new buildings for older people”. Attached to the article is a photo of the Philadelphia Senior Center at 509 South Broad, one of a number designed by Mr Jordan.

A long time resident of of the William Penn House, he is survived by Sarah Connolly Jordan, his wife of 51 years. They had no children.

Born in Germantown, he moved to center city following his World War II service in the Special Services Division of the Army Air Corp. He received his architectural degree, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Illinois in 1949, where he placed first in his class.

Before opening his own firm, Mr. Jordan joined Drexel University’s architectural faculty in 1953 as an Instructor. Two leaves of absence brought him first to Copenhagen, Denmark on a Fulbright Grant to study city planning, and then to Ankara, Turkey on a UN grant for a two year stint as the Associate Dean of Architecture at the newly opened Middle East Technical University.

Returning to Philadelphia in 1958 he opened his own firm and rejoined Drexel as a Professor and Architectural Department Head. He retired from Drexel, in 1977. For 25 years his firm had been Joe J Jordan, Architect, but in 1983 Jim Mitchell joined as a partner and the office became Jordan, Mitchell Inc, serving corporate, institutional, and government clients in the four state regions.

His path to a career in architecture started in childhood as day after day he would watch the local carpenter construct small summer cottages. At the age of 13 he designed and built an 8 foot long kayak he named Dinky. It was made largely from wood plaster lathe covered in painted canvas. With clothes prop mast and a bed sheet mainsail he would cruise leisurely around local Lake Lily in Cape May Point.

He loved sports. From the age of nine until he was 74 Joe was a Tennis fanatic, playing mostly at the Cape May Tennis Club. When eyesight issues forced the end of tennis, he turned to Golf and played until the age of 94. He was also a beach bum and body surfer from childhood through his 60’s

He and his wife Sarah shared a lifelong enthusiasm for international travel. Both had lived abroad and had traveled to over 50 countries

Joe became a Bridge buff in College but soon drifted away from it. In his late 80’s he learned to play Poker and soon became a Poker addict along with 8 friends living in the William Penn House.

Mr. Jordan loved literary books and sought out exemplary novels for his Kindle reader. After returning from a tour abroad he would compose a humorous account of the trip that he called a travelogue, he sent this to close friends who wanted to know about their trips.

Starting with the 1940’s Italian films, Joe became a film zealot for the art house and independent movie productions he could find on Netflix, Still another interest was food. A would-be gourmand, Joe loved good food and fine dining. He looked at cooking as a creative art and was usually the cook at home.

He is the author of two regional history books,: Cape May Point – The Illustrated History, and Cape May Point – Three Walking Tours of Historic Cottages. He had been a President of the Cape May Tennis Club, a vice president of the Philadelphia Senior Center, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a board member of the historic Franklin Inn Club.

Funeral arrangements will be private.