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Historical Biography

Deputy Attorney General: Peyton Ford

Portrait of Deputy Attorney General Peyton Ford
Ford, Peyton
1st Deputy Attorney General, -

Peyton Ford was the 1st Deputy Attorney General of the United States. He served as the Department’s second-ranking official from May 1950 to September 1951.

At the time of his appointment to the newly created position of Deputy Attorney General, which was established by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1950, Mr. Ford was serving as Assistant to the Attorney General. He had previously served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Claims Division (precursor to Civil Division). Mr. Ford first joined the Department in January 1946 as a special assistant to Tom C. Clark, the 59th Attorney General of the United States.

Mr. Ford began his legal career in private practice in Oklahoma City. From 1939 to 1941 he served as Assistant Attorney General of Oklahoma. During World War II, Mr. Ford joined the United States Navy and served as a gunnery officer in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres.

A native of Sayre, Oklahoma, Mr. Ford received his A.B. and LL.B. degrees from the University of Oklahoma in 1934.

Updated February 29, 2024