Jean Ford Papers
Scope and Contents
The Jean Ford Papers consists primarily of materials created and/or used by Ford during her years as Nevada state legislator; during the operation of her businesses, Jean Ford Associates, the Jean Ford Company, and Nevada Discovery Tours; as head of the Nevada Office of Community Services; as manager of the Reno-Tahoe Company; and as program director and instructor in the Women's Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. A few personal files are included: correspondence (Christmas letters), college year book, certificates, and photographs of Jean and her family. A series which was added in 1996 contains materials about the many organizations and committees she has been involved with in her professional career.
Dates
- 1949-1998
Creator
- Ford, Jean, 1929-1998 (Creator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Materials must be used on-site; advance notice suggested. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Biographical Note
Imogene Evelyn Young Ford (Jean) was born in Miami, Oklahoma on December 28, 1929 and was raised in Missouri. She married Samuel Ford on April 9, 1955 and had two daughters: Janet Ford Spelman (born 1956), and Carla Ford Oberst (born 1958). The Fords were divorced in 1977.
Jean received her B.A. in Sociology (cum laude) from Southern Methodist University in 1951 and her M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1978. She served in the Nevada State Assembly as a Republican from 1972-1976 and the Nevada State Senate as a Democrat from 1977-1982.
Jean headed two consulting firms bearing her name: Jean Ford Associates and the Jean Ford Company. She co-owned the tour company, Nevada Discovery Tours from 1984-1985. She was director of the Nevada Office of Community Services, 1985-1989 and managed the Reno-Tahoe Company from 1989-1991. She served as acting program coordinator and instructor of the Women's Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno, from 1991-1995. Jean was project surveyor for the Nevada Women's Archives project from 1992-1996 and compiled a guide to women's archives in Nevada entitled Nevada Women's History: A Guide to Archives and Manuscripts in Nevada Repositories. She co-founded the Nevada Women's History Project in 1996.
Jean has played a leading role in many community activities and organizations in Nevada: Soroptimist International, the League of Women voters, the Governor's Commission on the Future of Nevada, the Nevada State park Advisory Committee, the Nevada Women's Conferences, the Governor's Library Conference, Nevada Elected Women's Network, and the National Issues Forum. She is an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada and served as president of the U.U.
In the fall of 1997 Jean was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Since then, her oral history was recorded and published by the Oral History Program of the University of Nevada, Reno. It is called Jean Ford: A Nevada Woman Leads the Way.
Extent
8 Linear Feet (9 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection consists primarily of materials created and/or used by Ford during her years as Nevada state legislator and during the operation of her businesses. Additional materials include personal papers, and course materials from her role as instructor in the Women’s Studies Program at UNR. A series which was added in 1996 contains materials about the many organizations and committees she has been involved with in her professional career.
Arrangement
Arranged into the following series: 1) Jean Ford's Businesses and Professional Positions; 2) Political Interests and Career; 3) Personal Files; 4) Nevada Women on the Frontier Classes; 5) Professional Affiliations
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Jean Ford in 1993.
Separated Materials
Photographs have been transferred to the Special Collections photographic archives as collection number UNRS-P1995-44.
- Bryan, Richard H.
- Businesswomen -- Nevada
- Course materials
- Court administration -- Nevada
- Excerpts
- Ford family
- Ford, Jean, 1929-1998
- Greenspun, Hank, 1909-1989
- Jean Ford Associates
- Jean Ford Company
- League of Women Voters of Nevada
- Nevada -- Politics and government
- Nevada Discovery Tours (Firm)
- Nevada. Judicial Assessment Commission
- Nevada. Office of Community Services
- Photographs
- Reno-Tahoe Company
- Tourism -- Nevada
- Women -- Nevada
- Women -- Political activity -- Nevada
- Women Executives in State Government
- Women executives -- Nevada
- Women government executives -- Nevada
- Women's studies -- Nevada
Creator
- Ford, Jean, 1929-1998 (Creator, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Jean Ford
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Susan Searcy
- Date
- August 11, 1993
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Nevada, Reno. Special Collections Department Repository
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
1664 N. Virginia St.
Reno Nevada 89557-0322 USA
775-682-5665
775-682-5724 (Fax)
specoll@unr.edu