Melbourne Haddock Ford was a politician from the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

.

Ford was born in Salem, Michigan and moved to Lansing

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

 with his parents in 1859. He attended the common schools and the Michigan State College of Agriculture (now Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

) at East Lansing

East Lansing, Michigan

East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...

. Ford enlisted in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 in 1864, and in 1867 was appointed a midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

 at the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

, Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

. He resigned the following year and returned to Lansing.

Ford moved to Grand Rapids in 1873 and was engaged as official stenographer of several municipal, State, and Federal courts. He studied law and was admitted to the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

 in 1878. He was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 1st district of Kent County

Kent County, Michigan

-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...

 in 1885 and 1886.

Ford was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 5th congressional district

Michigan's 5th congressional district

Michigan's 5th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.It is currently a mostly industrial area , with Tuscola County being the main exception. It encompasses much of the area south of Saginaw Bay...

 to the 50th United States Congress

50th United States Congress

The Fiftieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889, during the third and fourth...

, serving from March 4, 1887 to March 3, 1889. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888, being defeated by Charles E. Belknap

Charles E. Belknap

Charles Eugene Belknap was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Belknap was born in Massena, New York and attended the common schools there...

, and commenced the practice of law at Grand Rapids in 1889. He was chairman of the Democratic State convention in 1890. In November 1890, he was elected to the 52nd Congress

52nd United States Congress

The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...

and served from March 4, 1891, until his death seven weeks later in Grand Rapids. He is interred there in Oak Hill Cemetery.