John Anson Ford
Encyclopedia
John Anson Ford was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
.
Ford was born September 29, 1883, in Waukegan, Illinois
. He attended Beloit College
in Beloit, Wisconsin
, taught history and economics, then moved to Chicago
, where he worked on the Chicago Tribune
. He was on the editorial board of Popular Mechanics
. In 1920 he came to Los Angeles
and entered the advertising and publicity business.
Ford represented District 3 on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1934 to 1958. He was active in Democratic Party
politics, serving on the state Central Committee, as chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, as delegate to Democratic National Convention
s from California, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from California, 1940, and as chairman of the Southern California Citizens for Kennedy
Committee. On his motion, in 1944, the Board of Supervisors established the Joint Committee for Interracial Progress that later became the Human Relations Commission.
After retiring, Ford "wrote regular newspaper columns and continued to give service to the community at large." The John Anson Ford Human Relations Award is named for him, as are the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
in Los Angeles
, and John Anson Ford Park in Bell Gardens, California
.
John Anson Ford died November 3, 1983, at Midway Hospital
in Los Angeles. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five-member nonpartisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district. They were as of December 2, 2008:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
.
Ford was born September 29, 1883, in Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
. He attended Beloit College
Beloit College
Beloit College is a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and has an enrollment of roughly 1,300 undergraduate students. Beloit is the oldest continuously operated college in Wisconsin, and has the oldest building of any college...
in Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
, taught history and economics, then moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he worked on the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. He was on the editorial board of Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
. In 1920 he came to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and entered the advertising and publicity business.
Ford represented District 3 on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1934 to 1958. He was active in Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politics, serving on the state Central Committee, as chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, as delegate to Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s from California, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from California, 1940, and as chairman of the Southern California Citizens for Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
Committee. On his motion, in 1944, the Board of Supervisors established the Joint Committee for Interracial Progress that later became the Human Relations Commission.
After retiring, Ford "wrote regular newspaper columns and continued to give service to the community at large." The John Anson Ford Human Relations Award is named for him, as are the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre is a 1421-seat performing arts theatre in Los Angeles, California. The theatre is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, and run through a three-way partnership between the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and John Anson Ford Park in Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census.Bell Gardens is notable for being one of only five Los Angeles County cities to permit casino gambling...
.
John Anson Ford died November 3, 1983, at Midway Hospital
Olympia Medical Center
Olympia Medical Center is a hospital in Los Angeles, California, USA.-History:Originally founded in 1948 as Midway Hospital Medical Center, the hospital has undergone several owners. In 1993, Summit Health Ltd. sold the hospital to OrNda HealthCorp. It was then purchased by Tenet Healthcare in...
in Los Angeles. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
.
External Links
- Transcript of a eight-hour interview – Ford discusses his life and career in Los Angeles, at The UCLA Oral History Program.