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Wendell Ford

Wendell H. Ford
Sen Wendell Ford of Ky.jpg
United States Senator
from Kentucky
In office
December 28, 1974 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by Marlow Cook
Succeeded by Jim Bunning
Senate Minority Whip
In office
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999
Leader Tom Daschle
Preceded by Alan Simpson
Succeeded by Harry Reid
Senate Majority Whip
In office
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1995
Leader George Mitchell
Preceded by Alan Cranston
Succeeded by Trent Lott
53rd Governor of Kentucky
In office
December 7, 1971 – December 28, 1974
Lieutenant Julian Carroll
Preceded by Louie Nunn
Succeeded by Julian Carroll
45th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office
December 12, 1967 – December 7, 1971
Governor Louie Nunn
Preceded by Harry Waterfield
Succeeded by Julian Carroll
Personal details
Born Wendell Hampton Ford
(1924-09-08)September 8, 1924
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Died January 22, 2015(2015-01-22) (aged 90)
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Cause of death Lung cancer
Resting place Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery,
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Jean Neel (m. 1943–2015) (his death)
Alma mater University of Kentucky
Awards Expert Infantryman Badge
American Campaign Medal
Good Conduct Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army seal United States Army
Seal of the United States Army National Guard.svg Kentucky Army National Guard
Years of service 1944–1946
1949–1962
Rank US Army WWII TSGT.svg Technical Sergeant
US-O2 insignia.svg First Lieutenant
Battles/wars World War II

Wendell Hampton Ford (September 8, 1924 – January 22, 2015) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor and United States senator in Kentucky history. The Senate Democratic whip from 1991 to 1999, he was considered the leader of the state's Democratic Party from his election to governor in 1971 until his retirement from the Senate in 1999. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving senator in Kentucky's history, a mark which was then surpassed by Mitch McConnell in 2009.

Born in Daviess County, Kentucky, Ford attended the University of Kentucky, but his studies were interrupted by his service in World War II. After the war, he graduated from the Maryland School of Insurance and returned to Kentucky to help his father with the family insurance business. He also continued his military service in the Kentucky Army National Guard. He worked on the gubernatorial campaign of Bert T. Combs in 1959, and became Combs' executive assistant when Combs was elected governor. Encouraged to run for the Kentucky Senate by Combs' ally and successor, Ned Breathitt, Ford won the seat and served one four-year term before running for lieutenant governor in 1967. He was elected on a split ticket with Republican Louie B. Nunn. Four years later, Ford defeated Combs in an upset in the Democratic primary en route to the governorship.


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