Idaho Gov. Len B. Jordan’s original desk going on display at state Department of Ed
The original desk used by then-Gov. Len B. Jordan has been donated to the state of Idaho and will go on display at the state Department of Education offices, which are located in the Len B. Jordan Building across from the state Capitol. Jordan was governor of Idaho from 1950 to 1954, and then served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 to 1972. As governor, he focused on water conservation issues and led the successful opposition to a federally funded high dam on the Snake River at Hells Canyon. In the Senate, he helped pass the legislation that created the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in Idaho in 1972.
Idaho state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra announced today that the desk and its accessories have been donated by Ron and Anita Van Grunsven of Fruitvale and will be added to the Idaho State Historical Society’s permanent collection; Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, a friend of the Jordan and Van Grunsven families, assisted.
“It’s great to see this piece of history returning full circle,” Boyle said. “It has been very well cared for by the Jordan and Van Grunsven families and I can speak for everyone involved that we are very grateful that it can now be on display for the people of Idaho.”
The desk was built by Idaho state prison inmates through the prison industries program, as is much state office furniture today.
