COLUMBUS — Ashland’s Dr. Lucille Garber Ford will be inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.
The Ohio Department of Aging, the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging and members of the Ohio General Assembly will induct Ford and seven other accomplished and caring older during a special ceremony on Thursday at the Statehouse Atrium in Columbus.
“Older Ohioans have a lifetime of accomplishments and experiences that not only make them our elders but also position them to be leaders and contributors in their communities,” said Stephanie M. Loucka, director of the department. “Dr. Ford set the stage for success for many young people in her community and stands as a role model for what we can accomplish when we care deeply for our neighbors.”
Ford is a trailblazer and a role model for all women, with an accomplished career as an educator, businesswoman, college administrator and community leader.
Ford earned her associate’s degree from Stephens College in Missouri, and then went onto both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. Her first position was as a visiting professor at the University of Alabama.
She also met her husband Larry at Northwestern University. After they married, she taught economics and business administration at Allegheny College and the University of Alabama.
In 1967 she returned to Ashland to help manage her family’s printing business. She successfully managed the business for several years after her father died, and sold it only when the time was right.
In the 1960s, Ford was the first and only woman to serve on the Ohio Edison Company Board of Directors and was the first woman appointed to serve on a bank board for National City Bank.
These appointments set the stage for other women to make their marks in business and finance.
When she was in her 40s, Ford earned her doctorate in economics from Case Western Reserve University. This degree was the foundation of an impressive career at Ashland University.
During her tenure, she instructed more than 3,000 economics and business students, while also contributing to the administration of the school. She designed the Gill Center for Business and Economic Education and was named the center’s director in 1974.
Ford made history in 1978 when she became the running mate on the gubernatorial campaign for Ohio Speaker of the House of Representatives Charles Kurfess.
She was the first woman to run for Lt. Governor in Ohio. Though their campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, the experience taught her to never say “no” to an opportunity to make a difference.
“Having a vision means looking over the hill,” Ford said. “I say to myself when something goes wrong, ‘what can I do to make it better next time?’ Understanding what I can do next time is the vision my parents both had – to recognize the opportunity that can be a privilege of living life.”
In 1979, Ford was named dean of the School of Business Administration, Economics and Radio/TV. She developed several new majors and educational programs for adult students.
In 1986, she became vice president of academic affairs, the nursing program, the writing center, the honors program and many other academic and administrative activities.
She became provost in 1990, administering both graduate and undergraduate programs, continuing education and special programs, and is currently serving as provost emeritus, professor emeritus and board trustee emeritus.
Her 15 years as active board of trustees member of the Ashland University make 45 years total active service she’s given the university.
Upon retiring from Ashland in 1995, Ford turned her knowledge, experience and passion toward civic endeavors. For 18 years, she devoted her leadership skills to the Ashland County Community Foundation, which enables people to make gifts to a fund that will enhance the Ashland County community.
She has served on five major public company boards, held countless civic and community leadership positions, and sat on numerous local, state and national boards.
Ford also earned her master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. She is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Ashland, Ohio, and served as director of Stephen Ministers and supply pastor for the Synod. She also served on the National Presbyterian Foundation Board of Trustees.
Ford was inducted into the 2001 Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame, and was the Grand Marshal of the Ashland Bicentennial Parade in 2015.
As a high school senior, she took flying lessons to receive a private flying license.
She is an avid boater and has been on Lake Erie since she was 9 years old. She enjoys swimming. She frequently visits her summer home in Huron, Ohio, and takes a boat out on the lake whenever she can.
She has also traveled all the continents and wants to continue expanding her horizons.
“I should learn how to be retired,” she said.
She feels success comes from being productive and contributing throughout one’s lifetime; and to love and to be loved.
“It gives you the substance to be thinking of others, and it gives you a sense of identity,” she said.
Ford was married for 60 years and has two daughters, each of whom has earned doctorate degrees in their fields. She also has two granddaughters, who have themselves earned master’s degrees.
She is very grateful of the legacy she has formed with her family, her students and her contributions to the community.
The Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame honors Ohioans for outstanding contributions to their professions, their vocations or their communities after age 60.
This year’s inductees range in age from 64 to 100.
