NEWPORT-Hundreds of family and friends crowded the banquet hall of Carson-Springs Baptist Conference Center on Thursday evening to join the Cocke County Education Foundation in honoring Dr. Nathan Ford.

Ford, who resides in Parrottsville, became the sixth honoree of the Foundation's Celebrating Our Success award, now given annually to a product of Cocke County Schools who achieved outstanding recognition in his/her chosen field.

In announcing Ford's selection, Foundation Chair Dr. Rich Lloyd said, "Dr. Ford began his education in a one-room log schoolhouse in Del Rio. Since then he served in the US Navy during World War II, returned home to enter college, and eventually became Cocke County's first fulltime optometrist. At age 27, he was elected to the Cocke County School Board, and many years later served four terms in the Tennessee State Legislature. It is with great joy and great honor that I present to you the 2010 recipient of our Celebrating Our Success award, Dr. Nathan Ford."

Also lauding Ford's achievements were John Abe Teague, Jr., representing U. S. Rep. Dr. Phil Roe, and State Rep. Eddie Yokley.

Teague recalled his family's personal friendship with Ford. "In 1981, our family returned to Cocke County," said Teague, "and I became part of a group which gathered at I. J. Smith's Hardware to watch ballgames. Dr. Ford, you have had a huge impact on my life."

Teague then announced that Congressman Roe had recently read a recognition of Ford's achievements into the Congressional Record.

Yokley emphasized Ford's contributions to education. "Education is the basis upon which we will continue to succeed as a nation," Yokley said. "We will not succeed in the 21st century without it."

Yokley then announced that he and State Sen. Steve Southerland had co-sponsored a Joint Resolution honoring Dr. Ford in the state legislature and then presented the honoree with a framed copy of it.

As he stepped to the podium, Ford received a standing ovation.

"Thank you," he began. "It is certainly an honor to be recognized by this foundation and to be in the company of those recognized before."

In his remarks, Ford recalled his first days as a student at Timber Ridge School in Del Rio. "There was one room and one teacher," he said, "with all eight grades. A stove stood in the middle of the room. We got our water from a nearby spring and all the students shared a dipper. There was a toilet which was built over the creek."

Ford remembered, "I liked going to school better than I did hoeing corn!"

According to Ford, Timber Ridge closed at the end of that year and he transferred to Harmony Grove.

"They had a magnificent building," said Ford, "especially for the time. It had a large auditorium which could easily seat over 100 people."

"They also had a brand new three-holer WPA toilet!"

Ford's older brother Jack was one of his teachers at Harmony Grove. "He was a strict disciplinarian," said Ford. "I always had to do more and better work to avoid any charges of favoritism."

Ford continued, "I believe good teachers are ones who made you want to excel," and then related an anecdote about a superintendent's visit to Harmony Grove.

"We had to show out for the superintendent," said Ford. "Someone might sing a song. I had memorized a poem from 'The Pathfinder,' a right-wing publication my dad subscribed to. I can still remember the opening lines."

In recalling his days at Cocke County High School, Ford said, "I not only had good teachers there, but they were teachers who were also good people. Love Gray Shults, Perle McNabb, and Marjorie McMahan were just three such teachers."

Ford recounted entering high school just as World War II opened and the rationing of many items. "There was no high school annual," said Ford. "Our senior trip was to Gatlinburg."

Ford, who missed his Class Night program in order to be sworn into the service, was only 17 when he joined the Navy.

Upon his election to the Cocke County Board of Education in 1952, Ford said Cocke County had 56 schools.

"We had a new superintendent, W. O. Bryant, from out at Bogard, who had big ideas for consolidation. In order to do this, he had to line up 13 county court members to support his plan and appropriate the money for new schools. It was like herding cats."

Eventually, however, approximately half of the 56 schools were consolidated into three new elementary schools, Centerview, Del Rio, and Smoky Mountain.

"I can't help but think that such a new and modern learning environment enhanced the educations of those students," said Ford.

In closing, Ford paid tribute to his wife of 55 years, the former Mary Barger, and the couple's three children: Beth, John, and Mark. "We're all products of Cocke County schools," said Ford. "Cocke County is a good place to grow up in and a wonderful place in which to live."

Among those attending the banquet was Judge J. Kenneth Porter, the first recipient of the honor. Others have been Dr. Kenneth Olden, Dr. Cliff Shults (posthumously), Benny Proffitt, and Dr. Kathy Dykes-Sims.