Harold Eugene Ford, Sr., born May 20, 1945, in Memphis, Tennessee, was a trailblazing American politician and Democrat who served as a U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District from 1975 to 1997. As the first African-American to represent Tennessee in Congress, Ford’s 22-year tenure was marked by advocacy for economic development, social welfare, and constituent services, establishing a political dynasty in Memphis. Ford grew up in South Memphis’s West Junction neighborhood, the eighth of 15 children born to Newton Jackson Ford, an undertaker and businessman, and Vera Davis Ford, a homemaker. His family’s prominence stemmed from the N.J. Ford and Sons Funeral Home, founded by his grandfather Lewie Ford in 1932, which built a strong network within the African-American community. Ford attended Memphis public schools, graduated from Tennessee State University in 1967 with a B.S. in business administration, earned an A.A. in mortuary science from John A. Gupton College in 1968, and later obtained an M.B.A. from Howard University in 1970.
Ford joined the family funeral business as vice president in 1969, maintaining lifelong involvement. His political career began in 1970 when, at age 25, he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, becoming one of its youngest members and one of few African Americans in the state legislature. Serving two terms (1970–1975), he was majority whip in his first term and chaired a committee on utility rates and practices. As a delegate to Democratic National Conventions from 1972 to 1996, Ford built a strong political foundation.
In 1974, urged by local Black leaders, Ford ran for the U.S. House in Tennessee’s 8th District (renumbered the 9th after the 1983 census). He won the Democratic primary with 63% of the vote and defeated four-term Republican incumbent Dan Kuykendall in the general election, capitalizing on a growing Black voter base following the Voting Rights Act and post-Watergate discontent. Elected at 29, Ford became Tennessee’s first African-American congressman.
Ford served 11 terms, retiring in 1997. His membership on the House Ways and Means Committee allowed him to secure substantial federal funding for Memphis, bolstering community development. He chaired the subcommittee on Public Assistance and Unemployment, advocating for welfare reform, job training, healthcare, and child support enforcement. Ford opposed President Ronald Reagan’s cuts to social programs like Medicare and food stamps while supporting President Jimmy Carter’s urban revitalization efforts. His welfare reform proposals, emphasizing a transition from welfare to work, earned him the Child Welfare League of America’s Child Advocate of the Year award in 1987.
Ford was a leader in the Congressional Black Caucus, serving as chairman (1981–1983) and vice-chairman (1989–1991). He secured funding for historically Black colleges, minority businesses, and anti-poverty programs, and supported voting rights and anti-apartheid measures. His constituent services were a hallmark, addressing a wide range of local issues. In 1987, Ford faced a federal indictment on bank fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy charges related to alleged illegal loans from a Memphis bank he partly owned. After a lengthy trial, he was acquitted in 1993, maintaining the charges were racially and politically motivated. Despite the indictment, he continued to win re-elections, though his influence was temporarily diminished.
Ford married Dorothy Jean Bowles in 1969, and they had three sons—Harold Jr., Newton Jake, and Sir Isaac—before divorcing in 1999. His son, Harold Ford Jr., succeeded him in Congress in 1997, making Ford Sr. the first African-American Representative whose son followed him in Congress. The Ford family, including siblings like former state senator Ophelia Ford, remains a political force in Memphis. A Baptist and member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Ford served on boards for institutions like Tennessee State University, Howard University, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After retiring, he worked as a lobbyist, managed a political consulting firm, and remained active in Democratic Party affairs, splitting time between Tennessee, Fisher Island, Florida, and the Hamptons.
Harold Ford Sr.’s career broke racial barriers and reshaped Memphis politics. His focus on economic equity, constituent services, and federal investment left a lasting impact on Tennessee’s 9th District. Despite controversies, his acquittal and consistent electoral success underscored his resilience and community support. Ford’s legacy endures through his family’s continued influence and his pioneering role as a Black leader in Congress.