William Clay Ford, Sr.

William Clay Ford Sr. (March 14, 1925 – March 9, 2014) was an American businessman who served on the boards of Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute. Ford owned the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 until his death. He was the youngest child of Edsel Ford and was the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford. Early life and education Ford was born on March 14, 1925, in Detroit to Edsel Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay. He graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, in 1943 and received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Yale University in 1949; he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, captain of the soccer and tennis teams, an honorable mention all American selection in soccer senior year, and winner of seven varsity letters as a collegiate athlete. Ford also served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II.