John Ford (Tennessee politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ford
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Ford being investigated as part of Operation Tennessee Waltz
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| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 29th district |
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| In office 1974 – May 28, 2005 |
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| Succeeded by | Ophelia Ford |
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| Born | May 3, 1942 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democratic |
John Newton Ford was a former member of the Democratic party. He served in the Tennessee State Senate. Born on May 3, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, he was part of the Ford family, a very important African-American political family in Tennessee. His older brother was Harold Ford, Sr., who served in the U.S. House of Representatives. John Ford was also the uncle of Harold Ford, Jr., another former U.S. Representative from Tennessee.
In April 2007, John Ford was found guilty of breaking rules related to his job. This was part of a situation called Operation Tennessee Waltz. He spent time in a U.S. federal prison from April 2008 to August 2012. John Ford left his position in the Tennessee State Senate on May 28, 2005. He sent a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee, John S. Wilder, to resign.
Contents
The Ford Family in Politics
The Ford family has a long history in politics. N. J. Ford, the family leader, had six sons and one daughter who became involved in government.
- Harold Ford, Sr. was the first African American from Tennessee elected to the U.S. Congress since the Reconstruction period. He was elected in 1974 and served until 1997.
- Harold Ford, Sr.'s son, Harold Ford, Jr., later took his place in Congress.
- Joe Ford has been active in local politics for a long time. He was a commissioner for Shelby County. He also served as the temporary mayor of Shelby County in 2009 and 2010.
- James Ford, who has passed away, was also a commissioner for Shelby County.
- Emmitt Ford served several terms as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
- Ed Ford served two terms on the Memphis City Council.
- Ed Ford Jr. followed his father onto the Memphis City Council.
- Justin Ford, who is Ed Ford's nephew, served on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.
- Ophelia Ford served as a state senator in the Tennessee General Assembly. She represented District 29 from 2005 to 2014.
John Ford's Early Life
John Ford grew up in South Memphis with 11 brothers and sisters. Their home was on Horn Lake Road in the West Junction neighborhood. He finished high school at Geeter High School in 1960.
After high school, he went to Tennessee State University in Nashville. He earned a bachelor's degree there in 1964. Ford also attended John A. Gupton College in Nashville. He received an associate's degree in mortuary science, which allowed him to apply for a license as a funeral director.
Later, Ford attended Memphis State University, which is now called the University of Memphis. He was active in the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity during his time there. He earned a master's degree in 1978. John Ford is also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
His Time in Politics
John Ford was first elected to the Memphis City Council in 1971. He represented District 6 in South Memphis and served until 1979. In 1974, he was elected to the Tennessee Senate. This was the same year his brother, Harold Sr., was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ford was re-elected as a state senator seven times. He usually did not face strong competition. He served in the state senate for more than 30 years. From 1992 to 1996, he was also elected as the General Sessions Court Clerk for Shelby County.
In the state senate, John Ford was the chairman of the General Welfare, Health, and Human Resources Committee. He became well-known in groups like the National Conference of State Legislators. He also served as chairman of the Shelby County legislative delegation in the National Caucus of Black State Legislators. He also served one term as the temporary Speaker pro Tempore of the Tennessee Senate.
What Happened Next?
On May 26, 2005, John Ford was arrested by the FBI. Several other Tennessee politicians were also arrested. This was part of a situation called Operation Tennessee Waltz. The situation involved a fake electronics company that was trying to influence state laws.
On April 27, 2007, a jury in Memphis found John Ford guilty of accepting money improperly. The jury could not agree on another charge, so that part of the case ended in a mistrial. He was found not guilty of trying to influence witnesses.
On August 28, 2007, Ford was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison. After his prison time, he would have two years of supervised release. He was also facing other charges in Nashville, Tennessee. These charges were about accepting money from medical companies that worked with the state.
On April 29, 2008, Ford went to a U.S. federal prison in Louisiana. On April 14, 2011, a court called the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals changed some of the convictions against Ford. He was released from prison in August 2012.
