25th January 2012

Ex-Gallaudet president receives highest US government pension

Irving King Jordan, the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University, the world's only Deaf university, receives the highest US government retirement pension at $375,000 (£240,637) per year – higher than both the former US Vice President Dick Cheney and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Jordan became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University in 1988 after a week-long student protest demanded a Deaf president, after years of hearing leadership.  He stepped down as president in 2006.

Gallaudet University, based in Washington, D.C., receives about $120million (£77million) in funding from the US government each year.

Information regarding government pension plans was released to Bloomberg News by the US government via the Freedom of Information Act.

Jordan did not reply to Bloomberg News's requests for a comment.

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(Image: Daniel Lobo via Wikimedia under Creative Commons licence)