People
JOHN JORDAN JR.
John Jordan, Jr., son of John and Marie (Hare) Jordan, was born in Danville, Pa., in 1861. Receiving his education in the schools of Sharon, Pa., he identified himself with the Buhl Iron Works. He later became the head buyer of merchandising in the stores department of this organization and after a service of twenty-five years, when the company was absorbed by the United States Steel Corporation, he severed his connections and came to Erie.
Mr. Jordan's faith in Erie's industrial growth found root at this time and in connection with an organization made up of Robert McClure as president and John A. Lang as secretary and treasurer, he helped organize the Williams Tool Company, himself serving in the capacity of vice-president.
Shortly after this Mr. Jordan went on an extensive tour, familiarizing himself with industrial conditions throughout the country in the meantime, but upon the death of Mr. McClure he returned to Erie to accept the presidency of the Williams Tool Company and assume the active management of the organization.
Mr. Jordan so capably conducted the affairs of his business in the manufacture of pipe, bolt and nipple machinery that the scope of the distribution soon became international and from an original investment of $60,000 it increased to a conservative estimated value of $700,000. Offers came to him from many parts of the country for the sale of his plant and equipment but it was not until 1919 that Mr. Jordan sold the controlling interests of the Williams Tool Company to what is now the Williams Tool Corporation, with main offices in New York City. He retained, however, the largest interest in the preferred stock and his membership on the Board of Directors. Mr. Jordan was one of the organizers of the American Sterilizer Company of Erie and served on the Board of Directors as one of its members.
Mr. Jordan was recognized as one of the most valuable and efficient citizens of Erie, always willing to do more than his part toward the upbuilding of the city, not only in commercial, but in moral and educational lines. Aside from being an active member of the First United Presbyterian Church of Erie, he was an ardent Y. M. C. A. worker. He was also treasurer of the Erie Inter-Church Federation.
His untimely death in January, 1923, was a severe loss to the community in which he lived.
Source: Transcription from the book, Western Pennsylvanians, edited by Charles Alexander Rook, published in 1923; located on the website, Internet Archive (http://archive.org), accessed 30 May 2026.