Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, has announced that it has acquired the political papers of Wayne Ford. He served from 1996 to 2010 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Ford was also the founder of Urban Dreams, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the lives of residents in low-income neighborhoods. Ford served as executive director of Urban Dreams for 32 years.
Ford was raised by his aunts in Washington, D.C.’s inner city before moving to Rochester, Minnesota, to play football at Rochester Junior College. He was recruited to Drake University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education on a football scholarship after completing prerequisite courses at Des Moines Area Community College.
“Drake helped me get started, and Drake’s been part of my whole [life] and career,” Ford said. “I was a representative for Drake University’s legislative district for 14 years. So, to donate my papers to the university, I call that going full circle and a job well done.”
