Emmitt H. Ford (December 13, 1943 – November 10, 2014) was an American politician from Tennessee. He represented the 86th district encompassing
Shelby County from 1975–1981.
He was also an uncle of former United States Congressman
Harold Ford Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford Jr. (born May 11, 1970) is an American financial managing director, pundit, author, and former U.S. Congressman who served from 1997–2007 in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party ...
Early life
Ford was one of twelve children born to N. J. and Vera Ford. Growing up in the West Junction and
Riverside neighborhoods of
South Memphis
South Memphis, one of the oldest portions of Memphis, Tennessee, is a community stretching from Midtown and Downtown to the Mississippi state line. In its early days, it was primarily an agrarian community. South Memphis has many well-known neighb ...
, he graduated from Geeter High School. Also, he attended
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tenness ...
.
Political career and legal problems
He succeeded his brother
Harold Ford Sr. as representative, but resigned in 1981 after a conviction for fraud.
was named to Ford's seat. Ford was sentenced to federal prison in 2000 for tax evasion.
Life after politics
For over twenty years, he operated a meat market in
South Memphis
South Memphis, one of the oldest portions of Memphis, Tennessee, is a community stretching from Midtown and Downtown to the Mississippi state line. In its early days, it was primarily an agrarian community. South Memphis has many well-known neighb ...
.
He died at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on November 10, 2014.
References
1943 births
2014 deaths
American politicians convicted of fraud
Tennessee State University alumni
Ford family of Tennessee
Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee
African-American state legislators in Tennessee
Tennessee politicians convicted of crimes
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people
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Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government