Southeastern Louisiana University

Southeastern clock dedicated to Ford family

Contact: Rene Abadie

3/28/06

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DEDICATION PLAQUE UNVEILED – A plaque dedicating the former Citizens National Bank clock to the memory of the family of the late Judge Leon Ford IIII was unveiled at a special ceremony on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus. The clock, formerly a landmark in downtown Hammond, has been completely refurbished and now hangs on McClimans Hall. From left are Southeastern President Randy Moffett, Leon Ford IV, Jacob Dufreche, Chris Dufreche, Jack Gautier, Christine Dufreche, Roy Dufreche, Helen Ford Dufreche, Logan Guess and Phil Livingston.

      HAMMOND – For more than half a century, the Citizens National Bank clock served as a highly visible landmark in downtown Hammond. Now, after 20 years of storage and extensive restoration, the historic clock has a new life keeping time for students on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus.

      While the clock has hung from the corner of McCliman’s Hall for nearly a year, the university recently officially dedicated the timepiece to the memory of the family of the late Judge Leon Ford III, a local historian and Southeastern benefactor who died last year. The clock memoralizes Judge Ford, his wife Ginger and his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Leon Ford Jr.

      “Judge Ford had a tremendous fascination and passion for history, especially the history of our region which he felt was greatly neglected,” said Southeastern President Randy Moffett prior to the unveiling of the dedication plaque. “To him, the clock represented a part of the history of our area, and he wanted to see it as a connection between the Southeastern campus and the city of Hammond.”

      After several bank sales, the clock – estimated to have been built between 1915 and 1920 – became a possession of AmSouth Bank, which donated it to Southeastern through the influence of Judge Ford and Ginger Ford who served for many years on the Citizens National Bank Board of Directors. The Ford Family Foundation provided the funds to have the clock completely refurbished with new copper sheeting and new movements and master control installed.

      Moffett called Judge Ford, who was a graduate of Southeastern prior to going to law school “a remarkable, sensitive, caring person” who served as an unofficial ambassador for the university and an advisor to several Southeastern presidents.

      “Over the years, he maintained close ties to the university and assisted in the establishment of the university’s criminal justice program, including teaching night courses in criminal law, procedure and evidence,” Moffett said. “Later he established Southeastern’s first endowed chair, the Leon Ford Family Endowed Chair in Regional Studies, which is domiciled in the Department of History and Political Science. It was Judge Ford’s desire that this endowment would stimulate interest and awareness in what he considered to be one of the most understudied regions of Louisiana.” The chair is held by history professor Samuel C. Hyde Jr., director of the university’s Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies.

      The plaque will be mounted beneath the clock on McCliman’s Hall, the site of the original Southeastern Training School, which Judge Ford attended for several years. The school was the predecessor of the current Southeastern Lab School.