Henry C. Ford

Born in Buffalo, New York in 1904, Henry Ford attended Port Allegheny (Pa.) High School and then graduated from Swarthmore College in 1927. He then earned a Master's degree in education at Temple University.

After graduating, Hank started teaching and coaching as a profession. His coaching started by helping Tom Strobhar at Swarthmore College for two years; then on to the University of Pennsylvania as freshman coach until 1934. When he returned to Swarthmore in 1935, he assisted Avery Blake until the 1943 season. He again returned to Swarthmore as assistant coach in 1959 and then in 1960 he went to the University of Pennsylvania as freshman coach.

In 1946, Hank started lacrosse at Lower Merion High school where he was head coach through the 1958 season, and produced many fine teams and players. In 1931, Hank started, coached, and equipped a boys' lacrosse club in Chester, Pennsylvania that continued to play through 1945. In 1945, he started and coached a boys' lacrosse club in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and in 1958 organized and coached a girls' lacrosse club.

Hank had never played lacrosse before coming to Swarthmore College, and while there, became an outstanding midfielder on some of Swarthmore's best teams. He continued to play lacrosse after graduating at the Penn Athletic Club. As a member of the box lacrosse team at Swarthmore, Hank was an outstanding center for many years. He refereed for a period of fifteen years and was district chief referee in the Pennsylvania area and a member of the Development Committee for lacrosse for many years.

Hank's whole life was devoted to teaching and working with children, and besides his many ventures in lacrosse, he was a social studies teacher for many years. He was a counselor at a boys' camp for twenty-three summers, and a playground supervisor for ten summers. He was a past president of the Teachers' Association and a leader in the community.

Hank Ford passed away in 1986.