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Accession No. OCA.2026.0004: Carl Ford, 2025 April
[identification of item], Carl W. Ford, Jr. Oral History, SPEC.OCA.57.0019, Ohio Public Policy Archives, Ohio State University
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Processed by: Sierra Sales, 2026 March; Finding aid written by: Sierra Sales, 2026 March
Carl W. Ford, Jr. (1943-2025) was a foreign affairs fellow in Senator John Glenn's office and later became the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research under Colin Powell during the George W. Bush administration. Ford was born in 1943 in Hot Springs, Arkansas and he attended Florida State University. After earning his Bachelor's Degree in Asian Studies in 1968 and his Master's Degree in East Asian Studies in 1969, Ford joined the United States Army. He served in the Vietnam War with the Military Assistance Command and later as a Military Intelligence Officer.
In 1974, Ford joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an analyst and served as a Congressional Foreign Affairs fellow in Senator John Glenn's office. During his fellowship, Glenn invited Ford to visit China with him, and this led to Ford being asked to prepare a report on the implementation on the Taiwan Relations Act in 1978. Ford also conducted research and helped prepare Glenn for the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) in 1979. In 1984, Ford joined Glenn’s presidential campaign, where he helped with fundraising and accompanied Glenn to the Democratic candidate debates.
Ford returned to the CIA in 1985 and beginning in 1989, worked at the Department of Defense. In 1993, Ford founded an international consulng firm called Ford and Associates. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Ford to be the Assistant Secretary of State Intelligenec and Research. After resigning from the position in 2003, Ford returned to Hot Springs, Arkansas where he taught at National Park College. Ford passed away in September 2025.
The Carl W. Ford, Jr. Oral History dates from March 19 and September 12, 2025, and consists of a audio recording and edited transcript of the interview between Carl W. Ford, Jr. and Cory Ackerman. Topics discussed in this oral history include Ford's role in Senator John Glenn's office and work on the Taiwan Relations Act, Glenn's relationship and disagreements with President Jimmy Carter, and his involvement with Glenn's 1984 presidential campaign. Ford also discusses his work as Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research under Secretary of State Colin Powell, and how intelligence failures led to the declaration of the Iraq War and Ford's resignation.
(1) MP3 file
(1) PDF file