Walter "Doc" Ford

Walter H. “Doc” Ford was a longtime Mayor of Cape Girardeau during the late 1940’s through the early 1960’s (12 years serving as mayor). He then served as 2nd District Judge of the Cape Girardeau County Court during the 1960’s prior to his death in 1968. In addition to being a fixture in Cape Girardeau County politics for the better part of three decades, Mr. Ford was a successful businessman as founder and owner of Ford & Sons Funeral Home, Inc. of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Mr. Ford graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 1932 with an education degree majoring in economics and political science. In addition, as an undergraduate he excelled in intercollegiate athletics, earning letters all four years in three sports (basketball, baseball, and football) for a total of 12 varsity letters (one of only a few to earn that many letters at Southeast Missouri State University). Mr. Ford then attended graduate school at the University of Colorado, taking coursework for a Master’s Degree in political science and economics. He returned to Cape Girardeau to accept his first political post before completing his master’s degree.