William D. Ford

(1927-2004) lived at Peru. Lawyer, politician, during 30 years as U.S. Congressman from Michigan from 1965 to 1995, he was majority whip-at-large, sponsoring progressive legislation on family and medical leave, healthcare reform, and workplace safety, and in the 1980s he led and sometimes authored comprehensive higher education legislation, which included federal student aid programs; recipient of almost 20 honorary degrees, including only the second honorary doctorate awarded by Peru State College in 1988. Consult Educational Record, Winter 1980, pp. 32-37 and Detroit Free Press, July 9, 1990, p. A-8 and January 26, 1994, p. A-1 and Almanac of American Politics 1994 (National Journal, 1993) 665-668 and Who’s Who in America, Vol 1 (1994) 1135 and Washington Post obituary, August 15, 2004, p. C-11.

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