Wendell H. Ford
|
|
Ford_Wendell.jpg
Wendell Hampton Ford (born September 8, 1924) is an American politician from Kentucky who belongs to the Democratic Party.
Ford was born in Owensboro, Kentucky. Ford served in the United States Army during World War II. Ford served as the top assistant to Governor of Kentucky Bert T. Combs from 1959 to 1963. Ford served a state senator from 1965 until his election as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1967. Ford was Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1967 to 1971. In 1971 Ford ran against his former mentor Combs in the Democratic primary and defeated him, going on to serve as governor of Kentucky from 1971 to 1974 and then was elected to the United States Senate in 1974 while he was Governor of Kentucky. Senator Marlow Cook, the Republican incumbent whom Ford defeated, gracefully resigned his seat early after the election so that Ford would have a higher standing in seniority in the Senate. Ford served in the Senate from 1974 to 1999. Ford served as United States Senate Majority Whip from 1991 to 1995 and as United States Senate Minority Whip from 1995 to 1998. Ford did not seek a fourth term, electing instead to retire to Owensboro.
External links
- Wendell Ford profile, NNDB (http://www.nndb.com/people/227/000053068/)
- Official Congressional Biography (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000268/)
| Preceded by: Louie B. Nunn | Governor of Kentucky 1971–1974 | Succeeded by: Julian M. Carroll |