Frank Ford (1941–1946)
Frank Ford was born March 4, 1873 in Toronto, Ontario to Katherine (Poole) and James Ford. He received his education at the University of Toronto, graduating with an MA, LLB, and DCL.
Ford began his career in 1893 as Secretary to D'Alton McCarthy, the influential Member of Parliament. In 1897, Ford left his position with McCarthy and became an attorney in the law firm of Denton, Dods, and Ford in Toronto. A year later, he joined the Government of Ontario as Secretary to the Attorney General, holding this position for a year before becoming a solicitor in the Treasury Department. Ford remained in Toronto until 1906, working for his last three years in the city as an attorney in the law firm of McArthy, Osler, Hoskin, and Harcourt. In 1906, Ford moved to the province of Saskatchewan, where he served as Deputy Attorney General until 1910. He was appointed to the King's Counsel in Saskatchewan in 1907 and was a bencher in the Law Society of Saskatchewan from 1907 to 1910.
In 1910, Ford was appointed to the King's Counsel in Ontario, moved to Edmonton, and became a partner in the law firm of Emery, Newell, Ford, Bolton, and Mount. He remained a partner in this firm for the next sixteen years. Ford was appointed to the King's Counsel in Alberta in 1913 and to the Supreme Court of Alberta in 1926. He served as Justice of the Trial Division for the next ten years before being named Justice of the Appellate Division in 1936, an appointment he retained until 1954.
In recognition of his achievements in law, Ford was presented with honorary Doctor of Laws degrees (LLD honoris causa) from the University of Alberta in 1946 and Université Laval in 1947.
An honorary professor of law at the University of Alberta from 1926 to 1961, Ford also served the University as a member of the Senate from 1914 to 1920 and from 1939 to 1946. Frank Ford was the fourth Chancellor of the University of Alberta and occupied this position from 1941 to 1946.
Ford's military activities included service as Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 95th Saskatchewan Rifles and Lieutenant, and later, Captain, of the 20th Regiment of the Lorne Rifles.
A Boy Scout commissioner in Saskatchewan, Ford was also Deputy Prolocutor for the House of Delegates of the Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land and Chancellor (1913–1943) of the Edmonton Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Frank Ford passed away on March 21, 1965 in Edmonton.