Dr. Gordon has been a member of the Department of Politics and International Affairs
since 1969. Over the years he has taught a wide range of courses
including State and Local Government, Urban Politics,
and Public Administration, but his main emphasis has been on African
and Middle Eastern Politics.
Over his career he has developed and directed the Urban Studies major,
the National Model OAU program, the African Study Abroad Programs in East and Southern Africa, and worked with Jim Guth to create the
Department's award winning Washington Internship program.
On leave from Furman, Don Gordon has worked as Chief of Staff for a
Member of the US House of Representatives and briefly as Committee
Counsel for the House Banking and Urban Affairs Committee.
Since 1999, Dr. Gordon has been the executive director of the Richard W.
Riley Institute of Government, Policy, and Public Leadership named for
former Governor and US Secretary of Education, Dick Riley. With its
three centers and over 20 programs, the Institute
engages Furman students and citizens across the state in the crucial
issues that challenge South Carolina and the country in the 21st
century.