Skip to content

Laurence W. Ford

Larry Ford (Laurence W. Ford) was born on October 11, 1920 and came to Ashland, Ohio in 1947. He was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, graduating from Tarkio College in Tarkio, Missouri.

He worked for Joy Manufacturing Company in Michigan City, Indiana after leaving college. In 1944, he left Michigan City to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where he received an MBA and met Lucille Garber. They were married in 1946.


He spent his life in corporate business as president of the A.L. Garber Company and later as president of SM Data Company. He served Ashland in many ways to include president of the YMCA (when the current building was built), as chair of the industrial division of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, Ashland Country Club treasurer, elder of the First Presbyterian Church, and finance chair of the Ashland Cemetery Association. He served Tarkio College as a Board of Trustee and chairman of the Board for many years. Tarkio College recognized him by awarding an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1994.

“All my life someone gave to me, so it was appropriate that I give back to benefit future generations. ACCF is my charity of choice because it addresses the needs of the entire community.”

Prepared 2005