Wendell Ford

Wendell Ford

Wendell Hampton Ford (born September 8, 1924 in Owensboro , Kentucky , † January 22, 2015 ibid) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and governor of Kentucky. He was also a US Senator for that state .

Early years

Wendell Ford attended public schools in Daviess County . From 1942 to 1943 he studied at the University of Kentucky . In 1944 he joined the US Army as a soldier , and three years later he completed further studies at the Maryland School of Insurance . He then worked in the insurance industry. Between 1949 and 1962 he was a member of the Kentucky National Guard.

Political career

Early offices and functions

During the tenure of Governor Bert Combs (1959-1963) he was his most important advisor ( Chief Assistant ). From 1965 to 1967 he was a member of the Kentucky Senate . The next step on his career ladder came in 1967 with his election as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

Kentucky governor

Four years later, he applied for his party's nomination for governor. He had to assert himself against his old mentor Bert Combs in the internal primaries. The actual election he won with 50.6% of the vote against Tom Emberton , who got 44.3%. During his tenure from 1971 to 1974, food was exempted from VAT, but a production tax was introduced for coal products. It is also worth noting that the powers of the Education Council for higher education institutions have been expanded. After being elected to the US Senate, Ford resigned as governor in December 1974.

US Senator

From December 28, 1974 to January 3, 1999, Wendell Ford was an uninterrupted member of the US Senate. During this time he was a member of various committees. During this time, u. a. the aftermath of the Watergate affair and the first six years of Bill Clinton's administration; and the Lewinsky affair and Clinton's impeachment proceedings that began immediately after Ford left . For the last eight years of his Senate membership, Ford has served as the Democrats' whip . In 1998 he refused to run again and withdrew into private life in early 1999.

death

Wendell Ford died on January 22, 2015 at the age of 90 in his hometown of Owensboro , Kentucky, of complications from lung cancer .

Web links

Commons : Wendell Ford  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Wendell Ford in the National Governors Association (English)
• Wendell Ford in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wendell Ford, 90, Dies; Kentucky Senator Pushed Voting Rights. In: nytimes.com. January 22, 2015, accessed May 22, 2019 .