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Gordon B. Ford, 1913-2005
March 04, 2005 Bowling Green, Ky. - Gordon Buell Ford, 91, passed away on March 3, 2005, at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Florida.  Gordon Ford was born September 27, 1913, in Greenville, Kentucky. He was the son of Otha and Mattie Newman Ford. Mr. Ford graduated from Greenville High School in 1930 and then entered Bowling Green College of Commerce, the forerunner of Western's business college. Through the hard work and determination of his mother, Mr. Ford graduated in 1934 with a B.S. Degree. Mr. Ford, believing that education is the hope of the world, gave substantial time and support to this. He was particularly interested in his Alma Mater, Western Kentucky University, and in December 1998, Mr. Ford honored both his mother and Western when he announced a $10.6 million gift commitment to the University, the largest single gift in the school's history. With this, he established the "Gordon Ford Dean's Fund for Excellence." He also gave $500,000 which was matched by the state of Kentucky to establish the "Mattie Newman Ford Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies." In a show of appreciation, Western renamed the business college, The Gordon Ford College of Business. Since 1992, he has given 10 or more scholarships a year for worthy students at Western. Mr. Ford was an active member of the WKU Board of Advisors and a director of the WKU Foundation. In 1999, he was inducted into Western's Hall of Distinguished Alumni. After graduating in 1934, a time of uncertainty and depression, Mr. Ford used his accounting skills, training and determination to become a Founder and Managing Partner in the Louisville accounting firm of Yeager, Ford & Warren. That firm merged with Coopers & Lybrand (one of the Big 8) in 1970. Mr. Ford continued as Managing Partner. That firm in 1998 merged with Price Waterhouse (one of the Big 4) to later become PricewaterhouseCoopers--one of the largest firms in the country. He retired as the Managing Partner of that firm and continued to live in Louisville as well as the Village of Golf, Florida. Mr. Ford was active in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants where he served as Vice President, a Director, a Member of Council, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Member of the Professional Development Board, By-Laws Committee, Management Consulting Committee, Management of Accounting Practice Committee and a member of the Editorial Board of the "Journal of Accountancy." Mr. Ford was also very active in the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he served as President and received the group's Distinguished Service Award. He received the Honorary Membership Award from the American Institute of CPA's. He was the author of several articles, including one for the Journal of Accountancy entitled "Long Range Plan for Development and Growth of a CPA Firm." He was co-author of "History of the Professional Practice of Accounting in Kentucky." With an interest in education and civic activities, Mr. Ford was a director of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce and Louisville Central Area, Inc.; a Trustee and member of the Executive committee of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; a Trustee of Bellarmine College and Kentucky Southern College; Director of several corporations, including Hubbuch's, Paul Semonin Company, Broadway Chevrolet, American Car Rental, Broadway Investments, 845 Inc., Southeastern Investment Trust, the Gordon Ford Foundation and V.V. Cooke Foundation. Mr. Ford also was a member of the American Seniors Golf Association as well as the Southern Seniors Golf Association. Mr. Ford was a member of the Louisville Country Club, Harmony Landing Country Club, The Country Club of Florida, The Ocean Club of Florida, Rotary Club of Louisville, Delta Sigma Pi and a former member of the Pendennis Club. He was a former member and Deacon of Broadway Baptist Church. He was a member of and previously served as an Elder of Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville. He was also a member of First Presbyterian Church in Delray Beach, Florida. WKU President Gary Ransdell said: "Gordon Ford was an entrepreneur whose generosity and leadership helped drive the transformation of our College of Business. But above all, Gordon was a consummate gentleman and a great friend. We will miss him dearly." Mr. Ford is survived by his wife Glenda, of thirty years. Mr. Ford has three children: Dr. Gordon B. Ford Jr. of Louisville, Gayle Ford Whittenberg of Louisville and Delray Beach, Florida, and Gregory Newman Ford of Viera, Florida. Mr. Ford also leaves behind three grandchildren: Caroline Root of Richmond, Virginia; Jonathon Newman Ford and Jennifer Newman Ford, both of Viera, Florida. Mr. Ford had one great-grandchild, Owen Alexander Root of Richmond, Virginia, along with many nieces and nephews.
-WKU-
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