Barbour County, West Virginia Biography of George M. FORD ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 5 GEORGE M. FORD, state superintendent of free schools, was born at Kasson, Barbour County, West Virginia, Janu- ary 7, 1871. He attended the rural schools, the Fairmont State Normal School and the West Virginia University, graduating from the latter institution in 1892 with the de- gree of A. B., and in 1896 with the degree of LL. B. Since his graduation he has practiced law at Princeton, Mercer County, and at Welch, McDowell County, and has held school positions as follows: Principal of Terra Alta Pub- lie Schools, principal of Grafton High School, principal of Benwood graded and high schools, principal of the Concord State Normal School, head of the department of economics and American history, Marshall College; superintendent of Bluefield schools, including the rural schools of Beaver Pond District, Mercer County; superintendent of Brown's Creek School District, McDowell County; teacher in the State Normal School at Glenville and superintendent of Dunbar Schools, Dunbar, West Virginia. On December 22, 1897, he married Miss Annie L. Linn, of Keyser, Mineral County. She was born at Frostburg, Allegheny County, Maryland, both of her parents being na- tives of Scotland. The four children of their marriage are: Margaret Buchanan, Jomima Elizabeth, Annie Laurie Linn and Frederick Wayne. He comes from a family that has taken an active part with combatant forces in every military conflict waged in this country, including the French and Indian Wars. He is a son of Frederick G. W. and Jomima Elizabeth (Hebb) Ford. His father was born near Petersburg, Virginia, now in Grant County, West Virginia, and his mother, in Bar- bour County, West Virginia. His father was a soldier of the Union during the Civil war. He served with Company F, Fifteenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, as second lieutenant, first lieutenant and as captain. George M. Ford began his military career May 12, 1911, when he was commissioned captain in the Second Infantry, West Virginia National Guard. He organized that com- pany and had command of it during the first encampment held at Kanawha City, as a part of the Third Battalion. During that encampment he earned his reputation as an ex- pert rifleman, and has made a high rank in every consecu- tive practice since then. In July, 1912, the Third Battalion was called to Paint Creek in Kanawha County, for service in the momentous strike troubles that had begun a short time before. He commanded his company in the Cabin Creek mining district during this strike. On December 1, 1914, he received a commission as major in the Adjutant General's Department, but resigned June 19, 1916, to again accept a captaincy in the Second In- fantry, West Virginia National Guard, answering the call of the President for Mexican border service. He was as- signed to the command of Company M, and was stationed at Camp Wilson, San Antonio, from September, 1916, until he was mustered out of this service March 24, 1917, at Huntington. On April 3, 1917, he answered the call of the President for World war service. The designation of his regiment was changed to the One Hundred and Fiftieth V. S. Infantry and attached to the Thirty-eight Division. His company was stationed at Marytown on the Norfolk and Western Railway until September, 1917, and in that month his regiment was mobilized with the Thirty-eighth Division at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, remaining there in training during the winter and following spring. In Sep- tember, 1918, Captain Ford took command of the Third Battalion of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Infantry and was transferred to France, going by way of Camp Mills, New York, to Liverpool and Southampton, landing at La Havre October 23, 1918. On November 3rd the infantry regiments of the Thirty-eighth Division were broken up and made replacement troops, and he was relieved of the command of his battalion and ordered to report to the Ninetieth Division, then in service on the front line in the Argonne. He reported at the village of Sassey sur Meuse and was assigned to the Three Hundred and Fifty-eighth Infantry and immediately reported to Col. Edmund M. O'Leary at Mouzey, and was assigned to the command of B Company, then lying at LaBlanc Fontaine, one-half kilometer south of Stenay. On the night of November 9th, while under bombardment, Captain Ford was gassed at Verdun. Following the armistice he went with the Army of Occupation. His division headquarters were at Bern- castle on the Moselle River, regiment headquarters at Daun. In January, 1919, he was transferred to the Thirty-seventh Division, then under orders for return to the United States, and with this division he sailed from Brest the latter part of March, 1919, landing at Newport News April 2, 1919. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army at Camp Lee, Virginia, April 25, 1919, and two days later re- sumed work in the classroom as teacher in the State Nor- mal School at Glenville. Captain Ford is affiliated with the Masonic Order, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Sigma Chi frater- nity. In the primary election of May, 1920, he was chosen as the republican candidate for state superintendent of free schools. He was successful in the November election and entered upon the discharge of his duties, as state superin- tendent of free schools, on March 4, 1921. At the annual meeting of the State Educational Associa- tion which convened in Hnntington November 3rd to 5th, 1921, Superintendent Ford was elected president of the as- sociation, without opposition, for the ensuing year.