Remembering alumnus, emeritus trustee Allen Huntington Ford
Allen Huntington Ford (CIT ‘64), a longtime trustee and former chair of the Case Western Reserve University Board of Trustees, whose family’s legacy helped shape the physical foundation of the university, died Feb. 1. He was 97.
Ford’s connection to Case Western Reserve University—and to Cleveland—spanned generations. His great-grandparents, Horatio Clark Ford and Martha Cordelia Cozad Ford, owned land in what is now University Circle, including property that would later become home to a significant portion of the CWRU campus. Their home, located near today’s intersection of Adelbert Road and Euclid Avenue, was a stop on the Underground Railroad, reflecting the family’s deep commitment to justice and civic responsibility.
Over time, Western Reserve University acquired the Ford family home and land. The house served as the original home of Flora Stone Mather College, the School of Law and the School of Applied Social Sciences before being razed to make way for the Allen Memorial Medical Library, which opened in 1926. Today, Ford Auditorium—named in honor of the family—stands on that historic site, a lasting symbol of the Ford family’s role in the university’s growth and mission.
During his tenure as chair of the board of trustees, the university debuted its first campus master plan—leading to a reimagining of the CWRU footprint, including the establishment of a central core, building renovations and new construction to carry the university into the next century and beyond.
“The impact of Allen Ford’s leadership and his family legacy is still evident on campus today,” said university President Eric W. Kaler. “His service as a trustee and board chair during the early implementation of the university’s first-ever campus master plan set the stage for Case Western Reserve to become the force for education and research we are today.”
Born in Cleveland on July 29, 1928, Allen Ford was the third of four sons of David Knight Ford and Elizabeth Brooks Ford. He grew up in Shaker Heights and earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1950, before enlisting in the U.S. Army and serving for two years in the Korean War.
Following his military service, Ford began a distinguished career in finance and industry, working with Pickands Mather, Diamond Shamrock and Standard Oil of Ohio, where he ultimately served as senior vice president. He earned a master’s degree in engineering administration from Case Institute of Technology in 1964, and later served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, contributing his expertise to organizations across Northeast Ohio.
Ford’s leadership extended well beyond the business world. In addition to serving as chair of the Case Western Reserve University Board of Trustees, he was a trustee of Western Reserve Historical Society, University Hospitals, The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Art and the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, among others.
“Allen Ford understood that the future of our campus and region depends on thoughtful investment, collaboration and a respect for history.” said Julie Gerberding, MD (WRC '77, MED '81), chair of the CWRU Board of Trustees. “Through his family’s gifts and his own leadership, he helped position Case Western Reserve University—and Cleveland—for generations to come.”
In 1954, Ford married Constance “Connie” Towson, who passed away in 2005. Together, they raised three children: Hope Murphy, Sarah Whitener and James Towson Ford, and later welcomed a foreign exchange student, Inger Wogn-Henriksen, into their family. He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A service will be held in his memory Thursday, March 5, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (2747 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights). For more information, including donations in his name, please refer to the family’s obituary.
