Barbour County, West Virginia    Biography of George M. FORD

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Submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook@trellis.net>, March 1999
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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.