A Ford Overview

An email correspondent pointed me to this Tennessean story about the Ford family. It's a broad look at their history and relationaships, both within the family and with the Memphis community. It's a fair enough primer, if you don't know the story.

The writer, Bonna de la Cruz, is someone I don't particularly trust. She distinguished herself, in the bad way, with her writing and coverage of the Income Tax Wars on 2002.

There are some problems. For one, she talks about Ophelia Ford's candidacy for the State Senate as though it's a fully fledged campaign, and mention her previous run as though she's just another Ford politician. No mention of her being dissed by her brothers when she ran last time, being told "it's not her time."

De la Cruz mentions twice the dollar value of John Ford's homes, for some reason, but only notes that Harold Ford own homes in the Hamptons and in Miami. Nor does she note Harold Jr's private education up East. Nor does she talk very much about the younger generations of Fords. Nor does she mention Melvin Ford's recent run-in with the cops.

There is a little snipe. In the impressive sidebar to the main story -- filled with links to other Tennessean stories, bits of trivia and other family facts; the Commercial Appeal could learn from this -- the paper notes that a dorm was named after Harold Sr and John when they promised in 2001 to donate $500,000 towards its construction. In four years, they've only managed to give $50,000. Oops!

Anyway, part one was yesterday, and the series concludes today. Well worth a lookover.