View source for Wendell Ford

{{short description|American politician (1924–2015)}}
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Wendell Ford
| image               = Wendell Ford.jpg
| caption             = Official portrait, {{circa|1990s}}
| alt                 = Official portrait while serving
| office              = [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Minority Whip]]
| leader              = [[Tom Daschle]]
| term_start          = January 3, 1995
| term_end            = January 3, 1999
| predecessor         = [[Alan K. Simpson|Alan Simpson]]
| successor           = [[Harry Reid]]
| office1             = [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Majority Whip]]
| leader1             = [[George J. Mitchell]]
| term_start1         = January 3, 1991
| term_end1           = January 3, 1995
| predecessor1        = [[Alan Cranston]]
| successor1          = [[Trent Lott]]
| jr/sr2              = United States Senator
| state2              = [[Kentucky]]
| term_start2         = December 28, 1974
| term_end2           = January 3, 1999
| predecessor2        = [[Marlow Cook]]
| successor2          = [[Jim Bunning]]
| order3              = 53rd [[Governor of Kentucky]]
| lieutenant3         = Julian Carroll
| term_start3         = December 7, 1971
| term_end3           = December 28, 1974
| predecessor3        = [[Louie Nunn]]
| successor3          = [[Julian Carroll]]
| office4             = 45th [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]]
| governor4           = Louie Nunn
| term_start4         = December 12, 1967
| term_end4           = December 7, 1971
| predecessor4        = [[Harry Lee Waterfield]]
| successor4          = Julian Carroll
| state_senate5       = Kentucky
| district5           = [[Kentucky's 8th Senate district|8th]]
| term_start5         = January 1, 1966
| term_end5           = December 12, 1967
| predecessor5        = Casper Gardner
| successor5          = [[Delbert Murphy]]
| birth_name          = Wendell Hampton Ford
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1924|9|8}}
| birth_place         = [[Daviess County, Kentucky]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2015|1|22|1924|9|8}}
| death_place         = [[Owensboro, Kentucky]], U.S.
| restingplace        = [[Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery]]
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|Ruby Jean Neel|1943}}
| children            = 2
| alma_mater          = {{unbulleted list|[[University of Kentucky]]|Maryland School of Insurance}}
| allegiance          = United States
| branch              = [[United States Army]]
| serviceyears        = 1944–1946<br/>1949–1962
| rank                = [[First lieutenant#United States|First Lieutenant]]
| unit                = [[Kentucky Army National Guard]]
| battles             = [[World War II]]
| mawards             = {{unbulleted list|[[Expert Infantryman Badge]]|[[American Campaign Medal]]|[[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]]|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]}}
| module              = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Senate Majority Whip Wendell Ford on his Vote Against NAFTA.ogg|title=Wendell Ford's voice|type=speech|description=Wendell Ford explains his vote against [[NAFTA]]<br/>Recorded November 20, 1993}}
}}

'''Wendell Hampton Ford''' (September 8, 1924 – January 22, 2015) was an American politician from [[Kentucky]]. A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he served as the 53rd [[Governor of Kentucky]] from 1971 to 1974, and as a member of the [[United States Senate]] from 1974 to 1999. He was the first person to be successively elected [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]], governor, and United States Senate member in Kentucky history.<ref name=jones211>Jones, p. 211</ref> He was the [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Democratic whip]] from 1991 to 1999, and was considered the leader of the state's Democratic Party from his election as governor in 1971 until he retired from the Senate in 1999.<ref name="cj">Cross, 1A</ref> 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. Ford is the last Democrat to have served as a U.S. Senate member from the state of Kentucky.

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 Combs]] in 1959 and became Combs's executive assistant when Combs was elected governor. Encouraged to run for the [[Kentucky Senate]] by Combs's 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 Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Louie Nunn]]. Four years later, Ford defeated Combs in an upset in the Democratic [[primary election]] en route to the governorship.

As governor, Ford made the government more efficient by reorganizing and consolidating some departments in the executive branch. He raised revenue for the state through a [[severance tax]] on coal and enacted reforms to the educational system. He purged most of the Republicans from statewide office, including helping [[Walter Dee Huddleston]] win the Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Republican stalwart [[John Sherman Cooper]]. In 1974, Ford himself ousted the other incumbent senator, Republican [[Marlow Cook]]. Following the rapid rise of Ford and many of his political allies, he and his lieutenant governor, [[Julian Carroll]], were investigated on charges of [[political corruption]], but a [[grand jury]] refused to indict them. As a senator, Ford was a staunch defender of Kentucky's [[tobacco]] industry. He also formed the [[Caucuses of the United States Congress|Senate National Guard Caucus]] with [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] U.S. Senator [[Kit Bond]] from [[Missouri]]. Chosen as Democratic party whip in 1991, Ford considered running for [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|floor leader]] in 1994 before throwing his support to U.S. Senate member [[Chris Dodd]] of [[Connecticut]]. He retired from the Senate in 1999 and returned to Owensboro, where he taught politics to youth at the Owensboro Museum of Science and History.

==Early life==
Wendell Ford was born near [[Owensboro, Kentucky|Owensboro]], in [[Daviess County, Kentucky]], on September 8, 1924.<ref name=bioguide>"Ford, Wendell Hampton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress</ref> He was the son of Ernest M. and Irene Woolfork (Schenk) Ford.<ref name=powell110>Powell, p. 110</ref> His father was a member of the [[Kentucky Senate]] and ally of Governor of Kentucky [[Earle Clements]].<ref name="cj" /> Ford obtained his early education in the public schools of Daviess County and graduated from [[Daviess County High School]].<ref name=kye342>Harrison in ''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'', p. 342</ref> From 1942 to 1943, he attended the [[University of Kentucky]].<ref name=bioguide />

On September 18, 1943, Ford married Ruby Jean Neel (born 1924) of Owensboro at the home of the bride's parents.<ref name=anniversary>"Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Ford". ''Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer''</ref> The couple had two children. Daughter Shirley (Ford) Dexter was born in 1950 and son Steven Ford was born in 1954.<ref name="cj" /><ref name=anniversary /> The family attended First Baptist Church in Owensboro.<ref name=anniversary />

In 1944, Ford left the University of Kentucky to join the [[United States Army]], enlisting for service in [[World War II]] on July 22, 1944.<ref name=emuseum>"Senator Wendell Hampton Ford". National Guard History E-Museum</ref> He was trained as an administrative [[non-commissioned officer]] and promoted to the rank of [[technical sergeant]] on November 17, 1945.<ref name=emuseum /> Over the course of his service, he received the [[American Campaign Medal]] and the [[World War II Victory Medal]] and earned the [[Expert Infantryman Badge]] and [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Good Conduct Medal]].<ref name=emuseum /> He was honorably discharged on June 18, 1946.<ref name=powell110 />

Following the war, Ford returned home to work with his father in the family insurance business, and graduated from the Maryland School of Insurance in 1947.<ref name=bioguide /><ref name=powell110 /> On June 7, 1949, he enlisted in the [[Kentucky Army National Guard]] and was assigned to Company I of the 149th Infantry Regimental Combat Team in Owensboro.<ref name=emuseum /> On August 7, 1949, he was promoted to [[Second lieutenant]] of Infantry.<ref name=emuseum /> In 1949, Ford's [[Company (military unit)|company]] was converted from infantry to [[tank]]s, and Ford served as a [[Company (military unit)|Company Commander]] in the 240th Tank Battalion.<ref name=emuseum /> Promoted to [[First lieutenant]] of Armor, he transferred to the inactive Guard in 1956, before being discharged in 1962.<ref name=emuseum />

==Political career==
Ford was very active in civic affairs, becoming the first Kentuckian to serve as president of the [[Junior Chamber International]] in 1954.<ref name="cj" /><ref name=powell110 /> He was a youth chairman of [[Bert Combs]]' 1959 gubernatorial campaign.<ref name="cj" /> After Combs's election, Ford served as Combs's executive assistant from 1959 to 1963.<ref name=bioguide /> When his mother died in 1963, Ford returned to Owensboro to help his father with the family insurance agency.<ref name="cj" /> Although it was speculated he would run for lieutenant governor that year, Ford later insisted he had decided not to re-enter politics until Governor [[Ned Breathitt]] asked him to run against Casper "Cap" Gardner, the state senate's [[Parliamentary leader|majority leader]] and a major obstacle to Breathitt's [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] legislative agenda.<ref name="cj" /> Ford won the 1965 election by only 305 votes but quickly became a key player in the state senate.<ref name="cj" /> Representing the Eighth District, including Daviess and [[Hancock County, Kentucky|Hancock]] counties, Ford introduced 22 major pieces of legislation that became law during his single term in the senate.<ref name=powell110 />

In 1967, Ford ran for [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]], this time against the wishes of Breathitt and Combs, whose pick was [[Robert F. Matthews Jr.]], who was [[Attorney General of Kentucky]].<ref name="cj" /> Ford defeated Matthews by 631 votes, 0.2% of the total vote count in the [[Partisan primary|primary]].<ref name="cj" /> He ran an independent campaign and won in the general election even as Combs-Breathitt pick [[Henry Ward (Kentucky politician)|Henry Ward]] lost the race for governor to Republican [[Louie Nunn]].<ref name="cj" /> Republicans and Democrats split the state offices, with five going to Republicans and four going to Democrats.<ref name=powell110 />

During his time as lieutenant governor, Ford rebuilt the state's Democratic [[political machine]], which would help elect him and others, including U.S. Senate member [[Walter Dee Huddleston]] and Governor of Kentucky [[Martha Layne Collins]].<ref name="cj" /> When Governor of Kentucky Louie Nunn asked the legislature to increase the state [[sales tax]] in 1968 from 3 percent to 5 percent, Ford opposed the measure, saying it should only pass if food and medicine were exempted.<ref name="cj" /> Ford lost this battle; the increase passed without exemptions.<ref name="cj" /> From 1970 to 1971, Ford was a member of the executive committee of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors.<ref name=nga>"Kentucky Governor Wendell Hampton Ford". National Governors Association</ref> While lieutenant governor, he became an honorary member of [[Lambda Chi Alpha]] fraternity in 1969.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brothers in Government|url=https://www.lambdachi.org/alumni/notable-lambda-chis/brothers-in-government/|access-date=28 March 2021|publisher=Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity}}</ref>

===Governor of Kentucky===
At the expiration of his term as lieutenant governor, Ford was one of eight candidates to enter the 1971 Democratic gubernatorial primary.<ref name=powell110 /> The favorite of the field was Ford's mentor, Combs.<ref name=powell110 /> During the campaign, Ford attacked Combs on the grounds of age and the sales tax enacted during Combs's administration.<ref name=nhok415>Harrison in ''A New History of Kentucky'', p. 415</ref> He also questioned why Combs would leave his better-paying federal judgeship to run for a second term as governor.<ref name=nhok415 /> Ford garnered more votes than Combs and the other six candidates combined, and attributed his unlikely win over Combs in the primary to superior strategy and Combs's underestimation of his candidacy.<ref name="cj" /><ref name=powell110 /> Following the election, Combs correctly predicted "This is the end of the road for me politically."<ref name=nhok415 />

[[File:Happy Chandler - Harris and Ewing Crop.jpg|thumb|left|Former governor [[Happy Chandler]] ran against Ford in the 1971 gubernatorial election.|alt=A man in his fifties, with thinning black hair, sitting at a desk, face-forward, wearing a suit]]

Ford went on to win the governorship in a four-way general election that included another former Democratic governor, [[Happy Chandler]], who ran as an [[Independent politician|Independent]].<ref name=powell110 /> Ford finished more than 58,000 votes ahead of his closest rival, Republican [[Tom Emberton]].<ref name=powell110 /> With Combs and Chandler both out of politics, factionalism in the Kentucky Democratic Party began to wane.<ref name=nhok415 />

As governor, Ford raised revenue from a [[severance tax]] on coal, a two-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline, and an increased corporate tax.<ref name=kye342 /> He balanced these increases by exempting food from the state sales tax.<ref name=kye342 /> The resulting large budget surplus allowed him to propose several construction projects.<ref name=kye342 /> His victory in the primary had been largely due to [[Jefferson County, Kentucky]], and he returned the favor by approving funds to build the [[Kentucky International Convention Center]] and expand the [[Kentucky Exposition Center]].<ref name="cj" /> He also shepherded a package of reforms to the state's criminal justice system through the first legislative session of his term.<ref name="cj" />

Ford oversaw the transition of the [[University of Louisville]] from municipal to state funding.<ref name="cj" /> He pushed for reforms to the state's education system, giving up his own chairmanship of the University of Kentucky board of trustees and extending voting rights to student and faculty members of university boards.<ref name="cj" /> These changes generally shifted administration positions in the state's colleges from political rewards to professional appointments.<ref name="cj" /> He increased funding to the state's education budget and gave expanded powers to the [[Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education]].<ref name=kye342 /> He [[veto]]ed a measure that would have allowed [[collective bargaining]] for teachers.<ref name=kye342 />

Ford drew praise for his attention to the mundane task of improving the efficiency and organization of executive departments, creating several "super cabinets" under which many departments were consolidated.<ref name=kye342 /><ref name=jones214>Jones, p. 214</ref> During the 1972 legislative session, he created the Department of Finance and Administration, combining the functions of the Kentucky Program Development Office and the Department of Finance.<ref name=jones214 /> Constitutional limits sometimes prevented him from combining like functions, but Ford made the reorganization a top priority and realized some savings to the state.<ref name=jones214 />

On March 21, 1972, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] handed down its ruling in the case of ''[[List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 405|Dunn v. Blumstein]]''<ref>405 U.S. 330 (1972)</ref> that found that a citizen who had lived in a state for 30 days was resident in that state and thus eligible to vote there.<ref name=oyez>"Dunn v. Blumstein". The Oyez Project</ref> Kentucky's Constitution required residency of one year in the state, six months in the county and sixty days in the precinct to establish voting eligibility.<ref name=vancuron>Van Curon, p. 27</ref> This issue had to be resolved before the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]] in November, so Ford called a special legislative session to enact the necessary corrections.<ref name=vancuron /> In addition, Ford added to the General Assembly's agenda the creation of a state environmental protection agency, a [[Apportionment (politics)|refinement of congressional districts]] in line with the [[1970 United States census|latest census]] figures and ratification of the recently passed [[Equal Rights Amendment]].<ref>Jones, pp. 212–213</ref> All of these measures passed.<ref name=jones213>Jones, p. 213</ref>

Despite surgery for a brain [[aneurysm]] in June 1972, Ford attended the [[1972 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]].<ref name=jones213 /> He supported [[Edmund Muskie]] for president, but later greeted nominee [[George McGovern]] when he visited Kentucky.<ref name=jones213 /> The convention was the beginning of Ford's role in national politics.<ref name=cj /> Offended by the McGovern campaign's treatment of Democratic finance chairman [[Robert S. Strauss]], he helped Strauss get elected chairman of the [[Democratic National Committee]] following McGovern's defeat.<ref name="cj" /> As a result of his involvement in Strauss's election, Ford was elected chair of the [[Democratic Governors Association|Democratic Governors' Conference]] from 1973 to 1974.<ref name=nga /> He also served as vice-chair of the Conference's Natural Resources and Environmental Management Committee.<ref name=jones214 />

During the 1974 legislative session, Ford proposed a six-year study of [[coal liquefaction]] and [[coal gasification|gasification]] in response to the [[1973 oil crisis]].<ref name=kye342 /> He also increased funding to human resources and continued his reorganization of the executive branch, creating cabinets for transportation, development, education and the arts, human resources, consumer protection and regulation, safety and justice.<ref name=jones214 /> He was considered less ruthless than previous governors in firing state officials hired by the previous administration, and expanded the state [[merit system]] to cover some previously exempt state workers.<ref name=jones213 /> Despite the expansion, he was criticized for the replacements he made, particularly that of the state personnel commissioner appointed during the Nunn administration.<ref name=jones213 /> Critics also cited the fact that employees found qualified by the merit examination were still required to obtain political clearance before they were hired.<ref name=jones213 />

[[File:WHuddleston.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A man in his late forties with wavy black hair, facing left, wearing a suit and tie|[[Walter Dee Huddleston]], Ford's campaign manager, was elected to the United States Senate in 1972.]]

===1974 Campaign for the Senate===
Ford united the state's Democratic Party, allowing them to capture a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1972 for the first time since 1956.<ref name=powell110 /> The seat was vacated by the retirement of Republican [[John Sherman Cooper]] and won by Ford's campaign manager, Dee Huddleston.<ref name=nhok415 /> Ford's friends then began lobbying him to try and unseat Kentucky's other Republican U.S. Senate member, one-term legislator [[Marlow Cook]].<ref name="cj" /> Ford wanted lieutenant governor [[Julian Carroll]], who had run on an informal slate with Combs in the 1971 primary, to run for Cook's seat, but Carroll already had his eye on the governor's chair.<ref name="cj" /> Ford's allies did not have a gubernatorial candidate stronger than Carroll, and when a poll showed that Ford was the only Democrat who could defeat Cook, he agreed to run, announcing his candidacy immediately following the 1974 legislative session.<ref name="cj" />

A primary issue during the election was the construction of a dam on the [[Red River (Kentucky River tributary)|Red River]].<ref name=jones215>Jones, p. 215</ref> Cook opposed the dam, but Ford supported it and allocated some of the state's budget surplus to its construction.<ref name=jones215 /> In the [[United States Senate elections, 1974|election]], Ford defeated Cook by a vote of 399,406 to 328,982, completing his revitalization of the state's Democratic party by personally ousting the last Republican from major office.<ref name="cj" /> Cook resigned his seat in December so that Ford would have a higher standing in seniority in the Senate.<ref name=jones215 /> Ford resigned as governor to accept the seat, leaving the governorship to Carroll, who dropped state support for the project, killing it.<ref name=powell110 />

In the wake of the rapid ascent of Ford and members of his faction to the state's major political offices, he and Carroll were investigated in a corruption probe.<ref name="cj" /> The four-year investigation began in 1977 and focused on a state insurance [[Kickback (bribery)|kickback]] scheme alleged to have operated during Ford's tenure.<ref name="cj" /> In June 1972, Ford had purchased insurance policies for state workers from some of his political backers without [[procurement]].<ref name=jones213 /> State law did not require competitive bidding, and earlier governors had engaged in similar practices.<ref name=jones213 /> Investigators believed there was an arrangement in which insurance companies getting government contracts split commissions with party officials, although Ford was suspected of allowing the practice for political benefit rather than personal financial gain.<ref name=babcock>Babcock, A4</ref> In 1981, prosecutors asked for indictments against Ford and Carroll on [[racketeering]] charges, but a [[grand jury]] refused.<ref name="cj" /> Because grand jury proceedings are secret, what exactly occurred has never been publicly revealed.<ref name="cj" /> However, state Republicans maintained that Ford took the [[Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] while on the stand, invoking his right against self-incrimination.<ref name="cj" /> Ford refused to confirm or deny this report.<ref name="cj" /> A federal grand jury recommended that Ford be indicted in connection with the insurance scheme, but the U.S. Department of Justice did not act on this recommendation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Urch|first1=Katie|title=Scandals beset Ky. governors|url=http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/09/29/loc_scandals_beset_ky.html|access-date=14 October 2014|publisher=Cincinnati Enquirer|date=29 September 2002}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===United States Senate===
Ford entered the Senate in [[1974 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1974]] and was reelected in [[1980 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1980]], [[1986 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1986]], and [[1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1992]].<ref name=bioguide /> In the 1980 primary, Ford received only token opposition from attorney Flora Stuart.<ref name=ramsey5>Ramsey, p. 5</ref> He was unopposed in the 1986 and 1992 Democratic primaries.<ref>Cohn, p. B1</ref><ref>"Baesler, Ford Stump Together in Richmond", ''Lexington Herald-Leader''</ref> Republicans failed to put forward a viable challenger during any of Ford's re-election bids. In 1980, he defeated septuagenarian former state auditor [[Mary Louise Foust]] by 334,862 votes.<ref name=miller>Miller, p. A1</ref> Ford's 720,891 votes represented 65 percent of the total votes cast in the election, a record for a statewide race in Kentucky.<ref name=miller /> Against Republican Jackson Andrews IV in 1986, Ford shattered that record, securing 74 percent of the votes cast and carrying all 120 [[List of counties in Kentucky|counties of Kentucky]].<ref name=miller /> Kentucky State Senate member [[David L. Williams (politician)|David L. Williams]] fared little better in [[1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1992]], surrendering 477,002 votes to Ford (63 percent).<ref name=gibson>Gibson, p. 9K</ref>

Ford seriously considered leaving the Senate and running for governor again in 1983 and 1991, but decided against it both times.<ref name="cj" /> In the 1983 contest, he would have faced sitting lieutenant governor [[Martha Layne Collins]] in the primary.<ref name="cj" /> Collins was a factional ally of Ford's, which influenced his decision.<ref name="cj" /> In 1991, Ford cited his seniority in the Senate and desire to become [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Democratic Whip of the United States Senate]] as factors in his decision not to run for governor.<ref name=heckel>Heckel, p. 1A</ref>

Early in his career, Ford supported a [[constitutional amendment]] against [[desegregation busing]].<ref name="cj" /> He also floated a proposal to put the federal budget on a two-year cycle, believing too much time was spent annually on budget wrangling.<ref name=martin /> This idea, based on the model used in the Kentucky state budget, was never implemented.<ref name=martin /> During the [[95th United States Congress]] (1977–1979), he was chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences|United States Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences]].<ref name=bioguide />

From 1977 to 1983, Ford was a member of the [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]].<ref name=bioguide /> He first sought the post of Democratic whip in 1988, but lost to U.S. Senate member [[Alan Cranston]] from [[California]], who had held the post since 1977.<ref name=nash>Nash, p. A20</ref> Ford got a late start in the race, and a ''[[New York Times]]'' writer opined that he overestimated his chances of unseating Cranston.<ref name=nash /> Immediately after conceding his loss, he announced he would be a candidate for the position in the next election in 1990.<ref name=nash /> He again faced Cranston in the election, but Cranston withdrew from the race due to a battle with [[prostate cancer]].<ref name=nash /> Ford maintained that he had enough commitments of support in the Democratic caucus to have won without Cranston's withdrawal.<ref name=nash /> When majority leader [[George J. Mitchell]] retired from the Senate in 1994, Ford showed some interest in the Democratic floor leader post.<ref name="cj" /> Ultimately, he decided against it, choosing to focus instead on Kentucky issues.<ref name="cj" /> He supported U.S. Senate member [[Chris Dodd]] from [[Connecticut]] for majority leader.<ref name="cj" />

[[File:Kit Bond official portrait cropped.jpg|thumb|200px|left|alt=A graying man in his fifties wearing a black suit, facing right|Kit Bond and Ford formed the Senate National Guard Caucus in 1989.]]

During the [[98th United States Congress]] (1983–1985), Ford served on the Select Committee to Study the Committee System, and he was a member of the [[United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration|United States Committee on Rules and Administration]] in the [[100th United States Congress|100th United States]] through [[103rd United States Congress]] (1987–1995).<ref name=bioguide /> In 1989, he joined with U.S. Senate member [[Kit Bond]] from [[Missouri]] to form the Senate National Guard Caucus, a coalition of senators committed to advancing National Guard capabilities and readiness.<ref name=ng>"Four-term Senator, lifetime citizen soldier", ''National Guard''</ref> Ford said he was motivated to form the caucus after seeing the work done by [[Mississippi]] [[United States House of Representatives]] member [[Sonny Montgomery]] with the [[National Guard Association of the United States]] and the [[National Guard Bureau]].<ref name=ng /> Ford co-chaired the caucus with Bond until Ford's retirement from the Senate in 1999.<ref name=ng /> The Kentucky Army Guard dedicated the Wendell H. Ford Training Center in [[Muhlenberg County, Kentucky]] in 1998.<ref name=ngtrain>"Kentucky Army Guard Dedicates New Training Site to Senator Ford". ''National Guard''</ref> In 1999, the National Guard Bureau presented Ford with the Sonny Montgomery Award, its highest honor.<ref name=ngaward>Haskell, p. 10</ref>

U.S. Senate member [[Thomas Eagleton]] from Missouri opined that Ford and Dee Huddleston made "probably the best one-two combination for any state in the Senate."<ref name=king8>King, p. 8</ref> Both were defenders of [[tobacco]], Kentucky's primary [[cash crop]].<ref name=king8 /> Ford sat on the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]], influencing legislation affecting the manufacturing end of the tobacco industry, while Huddleston sat on the [[United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry|United States Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry]] and protected programs that benefited tobacco farmers.<ref name=king8 /> Both were instrumental in salvaging the [[Tobacco Price Support Program]].<ref name="cj" /><ref name=king8 /> Ford got tobacco exempted from the [[Consumer Product Safety Act]] and was a consistent opponent of the increases of [[cigarette taxes in the United States]].<ref name="cj" /> He sponsored an amendment to the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] that limited the amount of foreign tobacco that could be imported by the United States.<ref name=martin />

Later in his career, Ford split with Huddleston's successor, [[Mitch McConnell]], over a proposed settlements of lawsuits against the [[Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement#Proposed "Global Settlement Agreement"|Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement]].<ref name="cj" /> Ford favored the package as presented to Congress, which would have protected the price support program, while McConnell favored a smaller aid package to tobacco farmers and an end to the price support program.<ref name="cj" /> Both proposals were ultimately defeated, and the rift between Ford and McConnell never healed.<ref name="cj" />

As chairman of the Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee, Ford secured funds to improve the airports in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], [[Northern Kentucky]], and [[Glasgow, Kentucky]].<ref name="cj" /><ref name=jones215 /><ref name=martin /> The [[Wendell H. Ford Airport]] in the town of [[Hazard, Kentucky]] is named for him. A 1990 bill aimed at reducing aircraft noise contained in the [[Federal Aviation Act of 1958]], improving airline safety measures, and requiring airlines to better inform consumers about their performance was dubbed the [[Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century]].<ref name="cj" /><ref name=martin />

Of his career in the Senate, Ford said "I wasn't interested in national issues. I was interested in Kentucky issues."<ref name="cj" /> Nevertheless, he influenced several important pieces of federal legislation. He sponsored an amendment to the [[Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993|Family Medical Leave Act of 1993]] exempting businesses with fewer than fifty employees.<ref name=martin /> He was a key player in securing passage of the [[National Voter Registration Act of 1993]].<ref name="jones215" /> He supported increases to the [[Minimum wage in the United States|federal minimum wage]] and the [[Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act]].<ref name=martin /> A supporter of research into clean [[coal]] technology, he also worked with U.S. Senate member [[Jay Rockefeller]] from [[West Virginia]] to secure better retirement benefits for coal miners.<ref name=martin /> Never known as a major player on international issues, Ford favored continued [[economic sanctions]] against [[Iraq]] as an alternative to the [[Gulf War]].<ref name=martin /> He voted against the [[Torrijos–Carter Treaties|Panama Canal Treaty]], which he perceived to be unpopular with Kentucky voters.<ref name=jones215 /> Despite having chaired [[Bill Clinton]]'s [[United States Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies]] in 1993, Ford broke with the administration by voting against the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] .<ref name="cj" /><ref name=jones216>Jones, p. 216</ref>

As he had as governor of Kentucky, Ford gave attention to improving the efficiency of government. While serving on the [[United States Congressional Joint Committee on Printing]] during the [[101st United States Congress|101st]] and [[103rd United States Congress|103rd United States Congresses]], he saved the government millions of dollars in printing costs by printing in volume and using [[Paper recycling|recycled paper]].<ref name=bioguide /><ref name=jones215 /><ref name=martin>Martin, p. 16S</ref> In 1998, Republican U.S. Senate member [[John Warner]] from [[Virginia]] sponsored the Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act of 1998; Ford signed on as a co-sponsor.<ref name=relyea>Relyea, "Public printing reform and the 105th Congress"</ref> The bill would have eliminated the [[United States Congressional Joint Committee on Printing]], distributing its authority and functions among the Senate Rules Committee, the [[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], and the administrator of the [[United States Government Publishing Office|United States Government Printing Office]].<ref name=relyea /> It would also have centralized government printing services and penalized government agencies who did not make their documents available to the printing office to be printed.<ref name=relyea /> Opponents of the bill cited the broad powers granted to the printing office and concerns about the erosion of [[copyright]] protection.<ref name=relyea /> The bill was reported favorably out of committee, but was squeezed from the legislative calendar by issues related to the impending [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton]].<ref name=relyea /> Warner did not return to his chairmanship of the Joint Committee on Printing in the next congress, Ford retired from the Senate, and the bill was not re-introduced.<ref name=relyea />

==Later life, illness and death==
Ford chose not to seek a fifth term in 1998, and retired to Owensboro.<ref name="cj" /> In 1998 he was awarded [[American Library Association Honorary Membership]].<ref>American Library Association. Honorary Membership. http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/176/all_years</ref> He worked for a time as a consultant to Washington lobbying and law firm [[Dickstein Shapiro]].<ref name=cross1B>Cross, p. 1B</ref> At the time of his retirement, Ford was the longest-serving U.S. Senate member in Kentucky history.<ref name=milestone>"Milestone: McConnell's long tenure marked with distinction"</ref> In January 2009, [[Mitch McConnell]] surpassed Ford's mark of 24 years in the Senate.<ref name=milestone />

In August 1978, the [[U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky|U.S. Route 60]] bypass around Owensboro was renamed the Wendell H. Ford Expressway.<ref name=lawrence>Lawrence, "Bypass at 40"</ref> The Western Kentucky Parkway was also renamed the [[Western Kentucky Parkway|Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway]] during the administration of Governor [[Paul E. Patton]].<ref name=kocher>Kocher, p. A1</ref> In 2009, Ford was inducted into the Kentucky Transportation Hall of Fame.<ref name=covington>Covington, "Ford inducted into Transportation Hall of Fame"</ref>

Later in life, Ford taught politics to the youth of Owensboro from the Owensboro Museum of Science and History, which houses a replica of his U.S. Senate office.<ref>"Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center", Owensboro Museum of Science and History</ref>

On July 19, 2014, the ''[[Messenger-Inquirer]]'' reported that Ford had been diagnosed with [[lung cancer]].<ref name=cancer>{{cite news |last=Vied |first=Steve |title=Ford battling lung cancer |newspaper=The Messenger-Inquirer |date=July 19, 2014 |page=A1}}</ref> Ford died from [[lung cancer]] at his home on January 22, 2015, at age 90. He was interred at [[Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Clymer |first=Adam |date=January 22, 2015 |title=Wendell Ford, 90, Dies; Kentucky Senator Pushed Voting Rights |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/us/politics/wendell-h-ford-kentucky-governor-and-senator-dies-at-90.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003212204/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/us/politics/wendell-h-ford-kentucky-governor-and-senator-dies-at-90.html |archive-date=October 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 28, 2015 |title=Wendell Ford Buried at Rosehill-Elmwood Cemetery |work=[[WEHT|Tri State Homepage]] |url=https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/wendell-ford-buried-at-rosehill-elmwood-cemetery/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213013242/https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/wendell-ford-buried-at-rosehill-elmwood-cemetery/ |archive-date=February 13, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Conservative Democrat]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite web |last=Alfaro |first=Al |title=Senator Wendell Hampton Ford |url=http://kynghistory.ky.gov/people/registry/def/ford_wendell_h.htm |publisher=Kentucky Army National Guard |work=National Guard History E-Museum |date=2007-08-21 |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220084113/http://kynghistory.ky.gov/people/registry/def/ford_wendell_h.htm |archive-date=2012-02-20}}
* {{cite news |title=Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Ford |newspaper=Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer |date=2008-09-28}}
* {{cite news |last=Babcock |first=Charles R. |title=Prosecutors Tell Ford About Ky. Probe; Grand Jury Will Not Indict Senator |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=1981-12-22 |pages=A4}}
* {{cite news |title=Baesler, Ford Stump Together in Richmond |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=1992-04-24}}
* {{cite news |last=Cohn |first=Ray |title=Opinions Voiced on Races' Effect |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=1986-02-28}}
* {{cite news |last=Covington |first=Owen |title=Ford inducted into Transportation Hall of Fame |newspaper=The Messenger-Inquirer |date=2009-01-29}}
* {{cite news |last=Cross |first=Al |title=Sen. Wendell Ford retires |newspaper=[[Louisville Courier-Journal]] |date=1999-01-03 |pages=1A}}
* {{cite news |last=Cross |first=Al |title=Ford will do work for D.C. legal firm |newspaper=Louisville Courier-Journal |date=1999-01-16 |pages=1B}}
* {{cite web |title=Ford, Wendell Hampton |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000268 |work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date=2010-01-02}}
* {{cite web |title=Dunn v. Blumstein |publisher=The Oyez Project |url=https://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_13 |access-date=2010-01-29}}
* Fitzgerald, David. "Supporting the Troops, Debating the War", ''Register of the Kentucky Historical Society'' 117.3/4 (2019): 555–590. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/48680324 online]
* {{cite web |title=Former U.S Senator, Ky. Governor Wendell Ford Dead At 90 |publisher=[[WLEX-TV]] |date=2015-01-22 |url=http://www.lex18.com/story/27912407/former-us-senator-wendell-ford-dead-at-90 |access-date=2015-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122190632/http://www.lex18.com/story/27912407/former-us-senator-wendell-ford-dead-at-90 |archive-date=2015-01-22 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite journal |title=Four-term Senator, lifetime citizen soldier |journal=National Guard |volume=52 |issue=12 |date=December 1998}}
* {{cite news |last=Gibson |first=Jane |title=Election Results 1992 – Ford Cruises to 4th Senate Term – GOP's Williams Garners 36 Percent |newspaper=The Kentucky Post |date=1992-11-04}}
* {{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Lowell H. |author-link=Lowell H. Harrison |chapter=Ford, Wendell Hampton |editor=Kleber, John E. |others=Associate editors: [[Thomas D. Clark]], Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter |title=The Kentucky Encyclopedia |year=1992 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |location=Lexington, KY |isbn=0-8131-1772-0 |url=http://www.kyenc.org/entry/f/FORDW01.html |access-date=2010-01-02 |archive-date=2013-04-15 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415075012/http://www.kyenc.org/entry/f/FORDW01.html |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Lowell H. |author1-link=Lowell H. Harrison |author2=James C. Klotter |title=A New History of Kentucky |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |year=1997 |isbn=0-8131-2008-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63GqvIN3l3wC |access-date=2009-06-26}}
* {{cite journal |last=Haskell |first=Bob |title=Washington toasts Guard's 362nd birthday |journal=National Guard |volume=53 |issue=1 |date=January 1999}}
* {{cite news |last=Heckel |first=Dan |title=Ford picks Senate over governor bid seniority, whip's race sway vote |newspaper=Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer |date=1989-12-30}}
* {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Landis |chapter=Wendell Hampton Ford |title=Kentucky's Governors |editor=Lowell Hayes Harrison |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |location=Lexington, KY |year=2004 |isbn=0-8131-2326-7}}
* {{cite journal |title=Kentucky Army Guard Dedicates New Training Site to Senator Ford |journal=National Guard |volume=52 |issue=5 |date=May 1998}}
* {{cite web |title=Kentucky Governor Wendell Hampton Ford |publisher=National Governors Association |url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_kentucky/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ford_wendell.html |access-date=2012-03-30}}
* {{cite journal |last=King |first=Mike |title=Wendell Ford: A Tough Foe to Know |journal=Courier-Journal Magazine |date=1983-06-12}}
* {{cite news |last=Kocher |first=Greg |title=Parkway to be Named for Collins – Road is Fifth, and Last, to Honor a Living Former Governor |newspaper=Lexington Herald Leader |date=2003-09-16}}
* {{cite news |last=Lawrence |first=Keith |title=Bypass at 40: Once derided as 'iron curtain,' road now carries 31,000 vehicles a day |newspaper=The Messenger-Inquirer |date=2009-10-18}}
* {{cite news |last=Martin |first=John |title=Mark Made Beyond State |newspaper=Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer |date=1999-01-16}}
* {{cite news |title=Milestone: McConnell's long tenure marked with distinction |newspaper=The Paducah Sun |date=2009-01-16}}
* {{cite news |last=Miller |first=John Winn |title=Democrats to Hold at Least 52 Seats; Ford Takes Every County |newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=1986-11-05}}
* {{cite news |last=Nash |first=Nathaniel C. |title=Man in the News: Wendell Hampton Ford; The No. 2 Man for the Democrats in the Senate |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1990-11-14 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/14/us/man-wendell-hampton-ford-no-2-man-for-democrats-senate.html?pagewanted=1 |access-date=2010-01-28}}
* {{cite book |last=Powell |first=Robert A. |title=Kentucky Governors |publisher=Bluegrass Printing Company |location=Danville, KY |year=1976 |oclc=2690774}}
* {{cite news |last=Ramsey |first=Sy |title=Ford Anticipated Senate Race Victor |newspaper=[[Kentucky New Era]] |date=1980-05-22 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WfYrAAAAIBAJ&pg=1209,2767652 |access-date=2010-02-22}}
* {{cite journal |last=Relyea |first=Harold C. |title=Public printing reform and the 105th Congress |journal=Government Information Quarterly |volume=16 |issue=2 |year=1999|pages=129–147 |doi=10.1016/S0740-624X(99)80004-5}}
* {{cite news |last=Van Curon |first=S.C. |title=Legislators to Descend on Frankfort Next Thursday |newspaper=Park City Daily News |date=1972-06-01 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GyMqAAAAIBAJ&pg=7106,405904 |access-date=2010-01-29}}
* {{cite web |url=http://owensboromuseum.com/exhibits/wendell-h-ford-government-education-center |title=Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center |publisher=Owensboro Museum of Science and History |access-date=2010-01-27 |archive-date=2010-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705153111/http://www.owensboromuseum.com/exhibits/wendell-h-ford-government-education-center |url-status=dead}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{C-SPAN|2359}}
*{{Find a Grave|141649141}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-npo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Hugh McKenna]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the [[United States Junior Chamber]]|years=1956–1957}}
{{s-aft|after=Chuck Shearer}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Harry Lee Waterfield|Harry Waterfield]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]]|years=1967}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Julian Carroll]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Ward (Kentucky politician)|Henry Ward]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[List of Democratic nominees for Governor of Kentucky|nominee]] for [[Governor of Kentucky]]|years=[[1971 Kentucky gubernatorial election|1971]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Dale Bumpers]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Democratic Governors Association]]|years=1973–1974}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Wendell Anderson]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Katherine Graham Peden|Katherine Peden]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 3]])|years=[[1974 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1974]], [[1980 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1980]], [[1986 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1986]], [[1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky|1992]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Scotty Baesler]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Bennett Johnston, Jr.|Bennett Johnston]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]]|years=1977–1983}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Lloyd Bentsen]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Alan Cranston]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Democratic Whip]]|years=1991–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Harry Reid]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Harry Lee Waterfield|Harry Waterfield]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky]]|years=1967–1971}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Julian Carroll]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Louie B. Nunn|Louie Nunn]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Kentucky]]|years=1971–1974}}
|-
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Marlow Cook]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States Senators from Kentucky|United States Senator (Class 3) from Kentucky]]|years=1974–1999|alongside=[[Walter Dee Huddleston]], [[Mitch McConnell]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jim Bunning]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Frank Moss (politician)|Frank Moss]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[United States Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences|Senate Space Committee]]|years=1977}}
{{s-non|reason=Position abolished}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Mathias]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration|Senate Rules Committee]]|years=1987–1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ted Stevens]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Howard Baker]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[United States Congress Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies|Joint Inaugural Committee]]|years=1988–1993}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Warner]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Alan Cranston]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Majority Whip]]|years=1991–1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Trent Lott]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Alan K. Simpson|Alan Simpson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Minority Whip]]|years=1995–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Harry Reid]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{USSenMajWhips}}
{{USSenMinWhips}}
{{USSenDemWhip}}
{{Governors of Kentucky}}
{{KYLtGovernors}}
{{USSenKY}}
{{SenRulesCommitteeChairmen}}
{{DSCC Chairs}}
{{InaugurationCommitteeChairmen}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 93rd–105th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Kentucky]]}}
{{USCongRep/KY/93}}
{{USCongRep/KY/94}}
{{USCongRep/KY/95}}
{{USCongRep/KY/96}}
{{USCongRep/KY/97}}
{{USCongRep/KY/98}}
{{USCongRep/KY/99}}
{{USCongRep/KY/100}}
{{USCongRep/KY/101}}
{{USCongRep/KY/102}}
{{USCongRep/KY/103}}
{{USCongRep/KY/104}}
{{USCongRep/KY/105}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Wendell H.}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:American segregationists]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Baptists from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Kentucky]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Kentucky]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Kentucky state senators]]
[[Category:Lieutenant governors of Kentucky]]
[[Category:Politicians from Owensboro, Kentucky]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:20th-century Baptists]]
[[Category:Kentucky National Guard personnel]]
[[Category:National Guard (United States) officers]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly]]
[[Category:Chairs of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]]