Harold Ford Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold Ford Sr.
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee |
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| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Dan Kuykendall |
| Succeeded by | Harold Ford Jr. |
| Constituency | 8th District (1975–1983) 9th District (1983–1997) |
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 5th district |
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| In office 1971–1975 |
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| Preceded by | James I. Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Emmitt Ford (86th district) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harold Eugene Ford
May 20, 1945 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Dorothy Bowles
(m. 1969; div. 1999)Michelle Roberts
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 5, including Harold Jr. |
| Alma mater | John A. Gupton College (AA) Tennessee State University (BS) Howard University (MBA) |
| Relatives | John Ford (brother) Ophelia Ford (sister) |
Harold Eugene Ford Sr. (born May 20, 1945) is an American politician. He was a Democrat who served in the United States House of Representatives. He represented the area of Memphis, Tennessee, for 11 terms. This was from 1975 until he retired in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Congress. He is part of the important Ford political family from Memphis.
During his 20 years in Congress, Ford helped get a lot of money from the government for his district. He did this through his work on the House Ways and Means Committee. He wanted more government help for people with lower incomes. This included job training, health care, and extra unemployment benefits. He also supported welfare as a safety net. He agreed with President Jimmy Carter's plans to improve central cities. He was against President Ronald Reagan's cuts to programs like Medicare and food stamps. He suggested new laws to help people move from welfare to work, but these laws did not pass.
His work became harder after 1987. He was accused of misusing business loans for his own needs. Ford said the accusations were false and were based on race and politics. He lost his leadership roles on committees but stayed in Congress while the legal case was ongoing. He was later found not guilty of all charges by a jury in 1993.
He decided to retire from Congress in 1996. His son, Harold Jr., moved back to Tennessee from New York. Harold Jr. then successfully ran for his father's seat. After retiring, Harold Sr. has been active in the Democratic Party. He has also worked as a lobbyist. He lives in Florida and in the Hamptons.
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Early Life and Education
Harold grew up in the West Junction neighborhood of South Memphis. He was the eighth of 15 children. His parents were Newton Jackson Ford (1914–1986) and Vera (Davis) Ford (1915–1994). They were important members of the African-American community. His mother was a homemaker. His father was an undertaker and businessman. He opened N.J. Ford Funeral Home in 1932. Harold's grandfather, Lewie Ford (1889-1931), started the family funeral business.
The Ford family has been involved in politics for a long time. Harold's great-grandfather, Newton Ford (1856–1919), was a respected community leader. He was elected as a county squire from 1888 to 1900.
Harold Ford finished Geeter High School in 1963. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Tennessee State University in Nashville in 1967. He also studied there for another year. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He received a degree in mortuary science from John A. Gupton College in Nashville in 1969. He worked in the family business as a mortician from 1969 to 1974. In 1982, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Howard University.
Political Career
Serving in the State Legislature
Ford used his family's strong connections in Memphis to gain support. This helped him when he first ran for office. He also ran a well-organized campaign. He benefited from more black voters after the Voting Rights Act. He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1970. He became one of its youngest members. He was also one of the few African Americans to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly at that time. In his first term, he became the majority whip. He also led a state house committee that looked at utility rates.
He was a representative for the Democratic Party at state and national meetings. He attended the Democratic National Conventions from 1972 through 1996.
Representing Tennessee in Congress
In 1974, after serving two terms in the Tennessee legislature, Ford ran for Congress. He sought the Democratic nomination for the 8th U.S. Congressional district in Memphis. He easily won against three other candidates. In the main election, he faced Republican Dan Kuykendall, who had served four terms. At that time, the district still had more white voters. However, new district lines in 1970 included more African-American voters. Ford ran on a platform that focused on economic growth. This helped him attract both black and white voters.
He ran a large and well-organized campaign. He used paid workers, volunteers, and his own energy to encourage people to vote. He also received support from black churches and famous people. He benefited from people's unhappiness with the Republican Party after the Watergate scandal. When the votes were first counted, it looked like Kuykendall had won by a small amount. But Ford challenged the count and eventually won by 744 votes.
Ford became the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the United States Congress. He was re-elected many times by large numbers of votes. He secured the black vote and won many white votes in his district. After the 1983 census, his district became the 9th District. It was drawn to have a majority of black voters. As more white residents moved away, the percentage of black voters increased. Ford then won re-election with more than 70 percent of the vote. Even after he faced legal challenges, he still won with more than 50 percent of the vote.
He served on several important House committees. These included Banking, Currency and Housing, and Veterans' Affairs. He was also on the Select Committee on Assassinations. This committee investigated the death of Martin Luther King Jr., among others. He joined the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in 1975. He led the subcommittee on Public Assistance and Unemployment. He also served as the chairman of the House Select Committee on Aging from 1991 to 1995.
Ford worked to get a lot of federal money for his district. He did this through his role on the House Ways and Means Committee. His main goal in Congress was to help people with lower incomes. He pushed for more federal government help for job training, health care, and extra unemployment benefits. He also supported welfare as a safety net. He supported Democratic President Carter's plans to rebuild central cities. He was against cuts to programs like Medicare and food stamps. These cuts happened during the administration of Republican President Ronald Reagan. Ford suggested new laws for welfare reform. These laws aimed to help parents with children over six gradually move from welfare to work. This plan had high starting costs for education and job training. The Reagan administration did not support it.
Facing Legal Challenges
In 1987, federal prosecutors brought charges against Ford. These charges came from testimony by two bankers. Ford was accused of receiving money that prosecutors said were not proper loans. Ford stated that these were proper business dealings for his family funeral home.
His first trial in Memphis in 1990 ended without a decision. The jury could not agree. The judge allowed a new trial. He decided that a fair jury could not be found in Memphis. Memphis was a very Democratic and mostly black city where Ford was popular. So, the jury for the new trial was chosen from areas 80 miles away. These areas were mostly Republican and white rural counties. The jurors were brought to Memphis for the trial. Ford argued that this jury selection plan was unfair. He appealed this decision twice, but his appeals were denied. In 1993, a jury of 11 white people and 1 black person found Ford not guilty of all charges. While the charges were pending for seven years, Ford remained a U.S. Representative. However, Congress removed him from his committee leadership roles. After he was found not guilty, his roles were given back to him.
Life After Congress
Harold Jr., Ford's son, returned to Tennessee in 1996. He had worked in New York City and finished his education. He ran for his father's seat after his father decided to retire. The elder Ford hoped that his son would not need to use the same strong approach he sometimes used, especially concerning race.
Personal Life
Ford married Dorothy Bowles in 1969. They had three children: Harold Jr., Newton Jake, and Sir Isaac. They divorced in 1999. He then married Michelle Roberts. They have two children: Andrew and Ava.
He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He is a Baptist. Harold Ford Sr. is now retired. He spends his time between Tennessee and Fisher Island in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He is still involved in the Democratic Party.
See also
