Wilhelm Jordan (March 1, 1842 - April 17, 1899) was a German surveyor and cartographer who played a key role in developing the field of geodesy in Germany. He founded departments of surveying at the universities of Hanover and Karlsruhe and wrote a well-regarded multi-volume textbook titled at the universities of Hanover and Karlsruhe. Jordan studied surveying and civil engineering at the Polytechnikum Stuttgart (now University of Stuttgart), completing his studies in 1863. He began to establish a name as an authority in the field of surveying, writing textbooks and teaching at Karlsruhe. He acted as surveyor for the 1873 - 1874 Libyan Expedition of Friedrich Gerhard Rohlfs, which helped to gain him greater acclaim in the surveying profession. For the remainder of his career, Jordan focused on teaching, mentoring students, and reshaping the training of surveyors in Germany, leaving a deep mark on the field for years to come.