He was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1975 to 1976. From 1977 to 1979, he was a member of the Special School District Board in Pulaski County in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention held in Little Rock in 1978 and 1979.
After moving to Florida, he served on the Gulf Breeze City Council from 1990 to 2007 and was president of the Florida League of Cities from 2004 to 2005. On February 27, 2007, he was elected to the Florida House to succeed Holly Benson, who had been appointed to head the Department of Business and Professional Regulation by then GovernorCharlie Crist.[3] Ford was re-elected to the Florida House in November 2008. From 2008 to 2009, he was the House Deputy Whip.
Ford died of cancer in Florida at the age of seventy-four. Will Weatherford, the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, said of his death: "The consummate gentleman of the House, Clay Ford was a friend, a mentor, and a tender conscience to all those who served with him. Last night, Clay lost his brave fight with cancer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Carol, his three sons, David, Doug, and Clay, and his nine grandchildren."[4]
The Florida Legislature recognized Representative Clay Ford by naming the Minority Scholarship for accounting students the Clay Ford Scholarship Program in the 2013 legislative session.
clay, ford, clarence, ford, known, september, 1938, march, 2013, attorney, republican, politician, from, gulf, breeze, santa, rosa, county, near, pensacola, florida, from, 2007, until, death, represented, district, florida, house, representatives, clarence, cl. Clarence V Ford known as Clay Ford September 24 1938 March 18 2013 1 was an attorney and Republican politician from Gulf Breeze in Santa Rosa County near Pensacola Florida who from 2007 until his death represented District 2 in the Florida House of Representatives Clarence V Clay FordMember of the Florida House of Representatives from the 2nd districtIn office March 2007 March 18 2013Preceded byHolly BensonSucceeded byMike HillMember of the Gulf Breeze City CouncilIn office 1990 March 2007Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the Pulaski County districtIn office 1975 1976Personal detailsBorn 1938 09 24 September 24 1938Wynne Cross CountyArkansas USADiedMarch 18 2013 2013 03 18 aged 74 Cause of deathCancerPolitical partyArkansas Democrat turned Florida RepublicanSpouseCarol Ann FordChildrenDavid Anthony FordDouglas A Ford Clay V Ford Nine grandchildrenResidence s Gulf BreezeSanta Rosa County FloridaAlma materUniversity of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas School of LawShippensburg University of Pennsylvania United States Army War CollegeOccupationAttorney and retired military officerMilitary serviceBranch serviceUnited States ArmyUnited States Army Reserve Arkansas National GuardA native of Wynne in Cross County in eastern Arkansas Ford was married to Carol Ann Ford and had three children David Doug and Clay and seven grandchildren He served in the infantry in the United States Army the Army Reserve and the Arkansas National Guard from 1955 to 1988 having advanced through the ranks from private to colonel He studied at the United States Army War College in Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania and the United States Air Force War College in Frankfurt Germany 2 In 1969 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville In 1978 he obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law also in Fayetteville In 1986 Ford obtained a Master of Science degree in public administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in Shippensburg Pennsylvania 2 He was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1975 to 1976 From 1977 to 1979 he was a member of the Special School District Board in Pulaski County in Little Rock Arkansas He was a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention held in Little Rock in 1978 and 1979 After moving to Florida he served on the Gulf Breeze City Council from 1990 to 2007 and was president of the Florida League of Cities from 2004 to 2005 On February 27 2007 he was elected to the Florida House to succeed Holly Benson who had been appointed to head the Department of Business and Professional Regulation by then Governor Charlie Crist 3 Ford was re elected to the Florida House in November 2008 From 2008 to 2009 he was the House Deputy Whip He was a Methodist and a member of the American Legion the Arkansas Bar Association and the Florida Bar He was affiliated with the Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International He was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association He received endorsements from the NRA as well as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Right to Life Ford died of cancer in Florida at the age of seventy four Will Weatherford the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives said of his death The consummate gentleman of the House Clay Ford was a friend a mentor and a tender conscience to all those who served with him Last night Clay lost his brave fight with cancer Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Carol his three sons David Doug and Clay and his nine grandchildren 4 The Florida Legislature recognized Representative Clay Ford by naming the Minority Scholarship for accounting students the Clay Ford Scholarship Program in the 2013 legislative session United States portalFlorida portalLaw portalPolitics portalChristianity portalReferences Edit Obituary Retrieved June 17 2023 a b Clay Ford s Biography votesmart org Retrieved January 12 2014 The Buzz St Petersburg Times September 17 2008 Online Rep Clay Ford dies pnj com March 19 2013 dead link Florida House of Representatives Profile Votesmart pagePreceded byHolly Benson Florida State Representative from District 2 Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Clarence V Clay Ford 2007 2013 Succeeded byMike Hill Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Clay Ford amp oldid 1172212653, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
