Max Jordan
Encyclopedia
Max Jordan was a pioneering radio journalist for the NBC
network in Europe in the 1930s. He later became a Benedictine
monk
.
He was born around 1895 in Europe. He got a PhD in Religious Philosophy. He worked for William Randolph Hearst
's newspapers in the 1920s.
. He also reported on the first Atlantic flight of the Hindenburg
in 1936, the Anschluss
of Austria in 1938, the text of the Munich Agreement
in the same year (giving Hitler Czechoslovakia), the 1940 invasion of Paris
, and the 1945 surrender of Japan.
He also hired Martin Agronsky
in 1940 to cover the war.
Horten writes that part of Jordan's success was due to his networking with the governments of Germany, Austria, and Hungary, whom provided NBC 'privileged use' of their broadcasting facilities.
During the war he worked on NBC's religious shows, which included prayers, bible stories, and a series about military Chaplain
ship, Chaplain Jim.
in Germany and became a monk, taking the name of Placid Jordan. He would later argue (in print) against Gordon Zahn's assertions that the Catholic Church had not properly resisted Nazism. Specifically Jordan wrote responses to Zahn's papers regarding the Catholic Church and Nazi Germany
. He also wrote a letter to William F Buckley's magazine National Review
that was critical of Zhan's book German Catholics and Hitler's Wars.
Jordan died in 1977.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network in Europe in the 1930s. He later became a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
.
He was born around 1895 in Europe. He got a PhD in Religious Philosophy. He worked for William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
's newspapers in the 1920s.
Europe, 1930s, and the war
He covered many important stories (and had many scoops) in the 1930s when the medium of radio was still relatively new. His first report for NBC was on a 1931 speech by Germany's president Paul von HindenburgPaul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
. He also reported on the first Atlantic flight of the Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
in 1936, the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria in 1938, the text of the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
in the same year (giving Hitler Czechoslovakia), the 1940 invasion of Paris
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, and the 1945 surrender of Japan.
He also hired Martin Agronsky
Martin Agronsky
Martin Agronsky was an American journalist and host of the television program Agronsky & Company.-Early years:Agronsky was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 12, 1915...
in 1940 to cover the war.
Horten writes that part of Jordan's success was due to his networking with the governments of Germany, Austria, and Hungary, whom provided NBC 'privileged use' of their broadcasting facilities.
During the war he worked on NBC's religious shows, which included prayers, bible stories, and a series about military Chaplain
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
ship, Chaplain Jim.
Monk
Around 1954 he joined the Beuron AbbeyBeuron Archabbey
Beuron Archabbey is a major house of the Benedictine Order located at Beuron in the upper Danube valley in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
in Germany and became a monk, taking the name of Placid Jordan. He would later argue (in print) against Gordon Zahn's assertions that the Catholic Church had not properly resisted Nazism. Specifically Jordan wrote responses to Zahn's papers regarding the Catholic Church and Nazi Germany
Catholic Church and Nazi Germany
In the 1930s, the Catholic Church was faced with the dilemma of how to respond to the rise of totalitarianism. After initially making an effort to negotiate a modus vivendi with such regimes in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, it found such accommodation increasingly difficult to maintain in the...
. He also wrote a letter to William F Buckley's magazine National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
that was critical of Zhan's book German Catholics and Hitler's Wars.
Jordan died in 1977.
External links
- Max Jordan -- NBC's Forgotten Pioneer, by Elizabeth McLeod
- Photos of Dr Jordan from Rex Features