Harold Ford Jr. is a financial managing director, commentator, writer, and ex-Congressman from the Democratic Party representing Tennessee’s 9th district, which is based in Memphis, during his tenure from 1997 to 2007 in the United States House of Representatives.
Early Life & Family
Harold Ford Jr. was the firstborn child of Harold Ford Sr. and Dorothy Bowles Ford, both of whom were from Memphis, Tennessee. He has two siblings named Jake and Isaac, and also has two half-siblings, Andrew and Ava, from his father’s remarriage.
For generations, the Ford family has held a prominent position in the black community of Memphis. Their family history began with N.J. Ford, who founded a funeral home that helped them build a strong presence within the community.
During the early 1900s, the influential white Democrat E.H. Crump held power over city and state politics, and he formed a close relationship with N.J. Ford.
Education
Harold Ford Jr. completed his early education at Double Tree Elementary School, a Montessori school located in the Westwood neighborhood.
However, he completed his secondary education at St. Albans School, a renowned college-preparatory institution in Washington, D.C., which he attended after his father was elected to Congress. In 1992, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History from the University of Pennsylvania.
Following his graduation, Harold Ford Jr. pursued a career in government, working as a staff aide for the Senate Budget Committee. He then held the position of special assistant at the United States Department of Commerce in 1993.
In 1996, Ford enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School to pursue a J.D. degree. Despite his unsuccessful attempt at passing the Tennessee bar exam while running for the House of Representatives, he expressed his intention to retake the exam. However, as of 2014, he had not done so.
Harold Ford Jr.’s Political Career
Harold Ford Jr. has served four consecutive terms and gave the main speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2000. In 2002, he was unsuccessful in his campaign to replace Nancy Pelosi as the House Democratic Leader.
During his time in office, Ford was a member of both the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services. In 2006, he was defeated by Republican candidate Bob Corker in his run for a Senate seat in Tennessee.
After starting his career as a professor at Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas at Austin, and New York University, he also joined Morgan Stanley. Throughout his career, he has supported the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which has been linked to the financial crisis, and the decision to invade Iraq.
Ford advocated for the Federal Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a heterosexual union, and considered himself pro-life. He also endorses universal healthcare, embryonic stem cell research, and the restructuring of drug laws.
Personal Life
On April 26, 2008, Harold Ford Jr. tied the knot with Emily Threlkeld, who is employed in public relations at Carolina Herrera in New York. They welcomed their first child, Georgia Walker Ford, and later had a son named Harold Eugene Ford III in May 2015.
Net Worth
Harold Ford, Jr., an American politician, has a net worth of $3 million. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1970 and was raised in a politically involved family. His father, Harold Ford, Sr., was a former Congressman and their family was highly regarded in the local community.
