William Clay Ford, Sr.

William Clay Ford, Sr. (March 14, 1925 – March 9, 2014) was the youngest child of Edsel Bryant Ford and was the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford. Ford owned, and served as chairman of, the Detroit Lions football team.

Spouse(s) Martha Parke Firestone (m. 1947)

Children

Martha Parke Morse (b. 1948)
Sheila Firestone Hamp (b. 1951)
William Clay Ford, Jr. (b. 1957)
Elizabeth Hudson Ford (b. 1961)

Parents

Edsel Bryant Ford
Eleanor Lowthian Clay

Biography

Born on March 14, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri to Edsel Bryant Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay, Ford served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II. Following the war, Ford married Martha Parke Firestone, the granddaughter of Harvey Firestone and Idabelle Smith Firestone, on June 21, 1947. They had four children together, Martha Parke Morse (b. 1948), Sheila Firestone Hamp (b. 1951), William Clay Ford, Jr. (b. 1957) and Elizabeth Hudson Ford (b. 1961).

Ford received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Yale University in 1949, and was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

After graduating, Ford worked for the Ford Motor Company and was briefly head of the Continental Division. Continental was short-lived and merged with the Lincoln Motor Company shortly before Ford's public stock offering. Ford updated the Continental that his father created and in 1955 the Continental Mark II was released. It is said there were only two pictures on his office wall, his father's Continental and his updated Mark II.

On April 10, 1952, an iron ore-hauling ship, the SS William Clay Ford, was named in honor of him.

On November 22, 1963, Ford purchased a controlling interest in the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from the previous owners, Edwin Anderson and Lyle Fife for $4.5 million. He was also chairman of the short-lived Detroit Cougars professional soccer team that played in the USA and NASL leagues. Ford was for a time, chairman of the most important of the directors' committees, the Finance Committee. Ford was member of the Ford Motor Company's board of directors for 57 years, retiring on May 12, 2005. His son, William Clay Ford, Jr., was Ford Motor Company's CEO at the time.

According to the Forbes Magazine, Ford was the 371st richest person in the United States in 2013, with an approximate net worth of $1.4 billion. Ford reportedly owned 6.7 million shares of Class B stock and 26.3 million common shares; in other words, Ford was the largest single shareholder in the Ford Motor Company.

Ford died in his sleep from pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, on March 9, 2014, at the age of 88, less than a week before his 89th birthday.

Biography

Born on March 14, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri to Edsel Bryant Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay, Ford served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II. Following the war, Ford married Martha Parke Firestone, the granddaughter of Harvey Firestone and Idabelle Smith Firestone, on June 21, 1947. They had four children together, Martha Parke Morse (b. 1948), Sheila Firestone Hamp (b. 1951), William Clay Ford, Jr. (b. 1957) and Elizabeth Hudson Ford (b. 1961).

Ford received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Yale University in 1949, and was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

After graduating, Ford worked for the Ford Motor Company and was briefly head of the Continental Division. Continental was short-lived and merged with the Lincoln Motor Company shortly before Ford's public stock offering. Ford updated the Continental that his father created and in 1955 the Continental Mark II was released. It is said there were only two pictures on his office wall, his father's Continental and his updated Mark II.

On April 10, 1952, an iron ore-hauling ship, the SS William Clay Ford, was named in honor of him.

On November 22, 1963, Ford purchased a controlling interest in the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from the previous owners, Edwin Anderson and Lyle Fife for $4.5 million. He was also chairman of the short-lived Detroit Cougars professional soccer team that played in the USA and NASL leagues. Ford was for a time, chairman of the most important of the directors' committees, the Finance Committee. Ford was member of the Ford Motor Company's board of directors for 57 years, retiring on May 12, 2005. His son, William Clay Ford, Jr., was Ford Motor Company's CEO at the time.

According to the Forbes Magazine, Ford was the 371st richest person in the United States in 2013, with an approximate net worth of $1.4 billion. Ford reportedly owned 6.7 million shares of Class B stock and 26.3 million common shares; in other words, Ford was the largest single shareholder in the Ford Motor Company.

Ford died in his sleep from pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, on March 9, 2014, at the age of 88, less than a week before his 89th birthday.

Children