Ford, Alexander Hume, 1868-1945

Born in Florence, S.C., Alexander Hume Ford was the son of Georgetown County planter Frederick W. Ford (1817-1872) and Mary Mazyck Hume. His mother died at his birth and he was raised by a maiden aunt, Ellen. After attending Porter Military Academy in Charleston, Ford was employed by a newspaper in that city but was let go in 1886 and moved to New York City to work for John C. Calhoun (1843-1918), a financier and officer of several railroad companies. He later worked as a freelance writer and playwright in New York and Chicago. In 1899 Ford traveled abroad and wrote articles on assignment for several well-known periodicals, and in 1907 he settled in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he became interested in surfing, an ancient native sport which had all but vanished by the early 20th century. In 1908 Ford helped to establish the Outrigger Canoe Club. Its stated purpose was to revive and preserve "surfing on boards and in outrigger canoes." Ford became a promoter of Hawaiian tourism and surfing, and was instrumental in forming the Pan-Pacific Union, an international organziation aimed at fostering the interests of, and harmony among, all nations bordering the Pacific Ocean.

From the description of Alexander Hume Ford papers, 1884-1930. (The South Carolina Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 716123387