Timothy Alan “Tim” Ford ’73
Tim Ford passed away Friday 27th, 2015 at his home in Oxford, MS, 200 yards from the entrance to Ole Miss, the University of that he loved; with his wife, Kathy, the woman that he loved by his side. Tim was born October 22, 1951 in Baldwyn, Mississippi, the son of Dr. John Mitchell and Rachel Agnew Ford. Along with being a devoted Eagle Scout, Tim was Valedictorian and an All Tombigbee quarterback of the Baldwyn Bearcats. Tim went to Ole Miss and was a pole vaulter on the track team but after pledging Sigma Nu and being elected cheerleader, he abandoned track as well as his pre-med major. After graduation from Ole Miss Law School, Tim practiced law with Carnathan and Malski and was Assistant District Attorney until his election to the Mississippi House of Representatives at age 27. In 1986, he was elected Speaker at age 36. While Speaker, he chaired the Southern Legislative Conference, National Speakers Conference and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. Tim was the first House Speaker in the nation to receive the William M. Bulger Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award and was recipient of the Supreme Court 2003 Chief Justice Award. During his legislative career, Tim was a strong supporter of economic development, agriculture, fiscal affairs and education at all levels. On his retirement from the Legislature in 2004, he was the longest then serving Speaker in the United States and the second longest serving Speaker in the history of Mississippi. After his legislative career, Tim went back to the practice of law and was a Senior Partner and member of the Executive Committee of Balch and Bingham, a 250 member firm with offices in four states and Washington, D.C.