FORD, Dr. Leslie J. "Les"
FORD
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/12/2016 at 14:10:26
Biography ~ Dr. Leslie J. "Les" Ford
Graceland University, Lamoni, IowaDr. Leslie J. "Les" Ford was born on March 02, 1941, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. When Les was 11 his family spent time in Caracas, Venezuela and he developed an interest in the language and culture of the area.
Les Ford, a.k.a. "Senor Ford," joined the Graceland faculty in 1979 to teach Spanish. He earned his B.A. from Wittenberg University in 1963, his M.A. from Indinana University in 1965, and his Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in 1975.
Upon coming to Graceland, Dr. Ford formed the "Los Amigos' Spanish Club and continued to serve as its advisor through the following years. His classroom innovations have included journal-portfolio assessments, e-mail discourse with his students in Spanish, and the creation of the Practical Spanish course. Spanish culture has also influenced some memorable winter term courses taught by Dr. Ford, including Bullfighting, History of Piracy, Chicano Culture, and Caribbean History.
Dr. Ford's activities outside of the classroom have included extensive travelling, participation with the Leon (Iowa) Presbyterian Church, and fund-raising for Outreach International.
Dr. Ford taught Spanish at Graceland for 24 years from 1979 to 2003. He was known as a gracious, humble and caring man who made learning a second language fun for his students. He passed away in Des Moines in April. He was 68 and resided in Lamoni.
SOURCES: Goehner, David. “The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z.” p. 405. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997.
Dr. Ford's obituary
Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2016
Decatur Biographies maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen