Frank Hunter Ford
| Born: | November 9, 1875, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died: | March 17, 1946, Birmingham, Alabama |
| Buried: | Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama |
| Son of: | Alice Hunter Ford |
| Brother of: | Earle Raymond Ford |
| Son of: | Elipalet Miller Ford |
Notes:
• He was the son of EM Ford born in NJ and Alice Ann Hunter born in Pennsylvania. - City Directory, 1908
• Huntsville Fibre & Veneer Works. His father, Elipalet M., was was shown as President in the 1908 City Directory. - City Directory, 1908
• Married Rose Eda Vogel Jan, 18, 1905 in Madison County, AL - MCMRC
• He had a nephew also named Frank H. Ford born about 1927. - Editor's Note
• City directory says he lived at 208 N. Lincoln (the addresses might be different now). - City Directory, 1908
• "By 1905, too, a new industry was setting records in Huntsville. The Huntsville Fibre and Veneer Works headed by Frank Ford manufactured 60,000 egg cases in a single month." - Record, Vol. 2
• President, Huntsville City Council 1930-1946.
Huntsville Governing Body 1926-1932, 1932-1936, 1936-1940, 1940-1944, 1944-1948 (he died before he finished this term (1946)). - Record, Vol. 2
• The Huntsville Industrial Expansion committee of the Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in laying the ground work for what was to become University of Alabama Huntsville. Meetings on Sept 7th and 11th of 1944 set goals and by-laws for the committee. "On September 19th, another meeting was held at which time a goal of $25,000 was set to be raised by public subscriptions. George Mahoney was elected president; M. B. Spragins, vice-president; L. B. Goldsmith, treasurer, and F. H. Thomas, secretary. Other directors were Karl Wolterdorf, F. N. Sefton, C. J. Mock, Percy Noble, J. F. Chambers, H. E. Monroe, C. B. Ragland, K.E. Thomas, Charles E. Shaver, F. H. Ford, Earnest White, W. O. Mason, Dr. E. V. Caldwell, and Edward McGregor." - Ward
• Madison County Pensions and Security (Welfare) Board 1936-1947. - Record, Vol 1
• Labored to make the Central YMCA a success. - Taylor
• Honorary member of the Huntsville Lioness Club. - Taylor
• Master of Helion Lodge No. 1 (Mason) for 1924. - Milam
• Frank H. Ford was the General Chairman for an Amateur Play for the Benefit of Memorial Hospital. "'Hoop-La' the clever minstrel put on here (Huntsville) under the auspices of the local Rotarians for the benefit of the $100,000 Memorial Hospital was a success. It played to two packed houses at the Elks theatre on Friday and Saturday evenings. Long before the curtain rose at both performances the theatre was crowded and indications pointed to a repeat order for Monday evening. The amateurs were all good, clever to the limit and in fact several brilliant stars were developed in the play." Many of the city's notables contributed to the fun. - HDT
• 1925, September 10 "The Moss house on Pulaski Pike including 225 acres was acquired for use as the Huntsville Country Club. W. P. Dilworth was President, Frank Ford was Vice-President, and W.T. Hutchens was Secretary-Treasurer." - Eden
• "There was profit in leisure as well. The Country Club Heights Company was incorporated in 1925, with $40,000 capital stock, to begin a country club. The Moss home on Pulaski Pike, including 225 acres, was acquired. Officers included W. P. Dilworth, President; Frank Ford, Vice-President; W. T. Hutchens, Secretary-Treasurer. T. W. Pratt and Quincy B. Love were named to operate the Greater Huntsville Country Club." - Record, Vol. 2
• Huntsville Rotary Club President 1926-1927. - Eastering
• Initiated within Huntsville Rotary Club (1925) the establishment of a fund "for the use and benefit of students unable to pay their way through college, loaned at the legal rate of interest." - Eastering
• When Frank Ford died, he had a record of perfect attendance at the weekly Rotary club meetings for thirteen years. - Eastering
• "Officers for the year 1905-1906 were working with the new Exalted Ruler, Frank H. Ford and the lodge reached a membership of 229. Ford was also exalted Ruler for 1906-1907, and the membership reached 277." - Elks
• Elks Esteemed Loyal Knight 1903-1904 - Elks
• Elks Exalted Ruler 1905-1906. 1906-1907 - Elks
• Elks Loyal Knight 1910-1911 - Elks
• Elks Esquire, 1911-1912 - Elks
• Elks Esteemed Leading Knight 1904-'905 - Elks
• Elks Lecturing Knight 1902-1903 - Elks
• Elks Trustee 1915-1916 - Elks
• In 1913, Frank Ford was on the committee to arrange for charitable contributions to young children for Christmas. - Elks
• Frank H. Ford
"Council Head Passes at 71
President Of Aldermen Succumbs In Hospital; Funeral To Be Tuesday
All city offices and activities will closed tomorrow at 2 p.m. and remain closed for the remainder of the day, in respect to the late Frank H. Ford, president of the city council.
Frank H. Ford, 71, president of the Huntsville city council for the last 16 years, died last night at a Birmingham hospital, where he had gone for an operation.
He had been in poor health for several months, but his condition was not considered serious until he collapsed yesterday at the hospital.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday from the Laughlin-Service chapel, with the Rev. Randolph R. Claiborne officiating.
Pallbearers will he Robert Murphree, Jere Murphy, Marion Grace, Henry Lee Hilson, Earle Ford. Jr., Ralph Ford, Frank Ford and Robert Lowery.
Mr. Ford, a member of the council since 1926, was a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and had lived in Huntsville 51 years. He was president of the Huntsville Fiber and Veneer Works.
Prominent in civic affairs, he was chairman of the county board of public welfare, a director of the YMCA, a past president of the Rotary club, and a member of local Masonic lodges. He was a director of the Federal Savings and Loan Association.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Rose Ford, who returned from Birmingham this morning, and two brothers, Earle R. Ford, Huntsville attorney, and E. M. Ford of Birmingham." - The Huntsville Times
Related Links:
• City Directory, 1908 - Can be viewed only through Ancestry.com paid subscription. (Originally found at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=2469&iid=11992938&fn=Frank+H&ln=Ford&st=r&ssrc=&pid=676019222.)
• Eastering - 75 Years of Service: A History of The Huntsville Rotary Club, by Bill Easterling, 1992, pages 17, 35, 36, 43, 83.
• Eden - Eden of the South: A Chronology of Huntsville, Alabama, 1805-2005, by Raneé G. Pruitt, Editor, 2005, page 141.
• Elks - Great Elks in Madison County?? You Better Believe It!! A History of Madison County, Alabama, Elkdom, by James Record, 1972, page 6, 12, 53.
• Find a Grave - Paged created by Bobbie Christian and maintained by Gene Hill.
• HDT - Article titled "'Hoopla' Plays to Big Crowds" in the Huntsville Daily Times December 14, 1919
• Helion Lodge - Frank as the Master Mason at Huntsville's Helion Lodge in 1905.
• MCMRC - Madison County Marriage Records Center.
• Milam - Article titled "The Birthplace of Alabama Freemasonry Helion Lodge #1, Huntsville, Alabama Compiled by David Milam for the Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 24, #1, Jan-97, Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, page 27.
• Record, Vol 1 - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume I, by James Record, 1970, page 285.
• Record, Vol. 2 - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentally of Alabama and the United States, Volume II, by James Record, 1978, pages 123, 191. 345-363.
• Taylor - Commemorative Album, Celebrating our City's Sesquicentennial of Progress, Huntsville, Alabama, by James E. Taylor, General Chairman, 1955, page 108, 198, 213.
• The Huntsville Times - The Huntsville Times Obituary Monday, March 18, 1946.
• Ward - Shaping History: The University of Alabama Huntsville Foundation, by Michael D. Ward, 2008. page 24.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Alice Hunter Ford
• Earle Raymond Ford
• Eden
• Elipalet Miller Ford
• Milam
• Record, Vol 1
• Record, Vol. 2
• Taylor