Lacy K. Ford, a graduate, longtime professor and former dean of the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, died Wednesday, April 1.
He is remembered as a leading scholar of Southern history, a mentor who inspired students and members of the public to think deeply and critically about the South and its history, and a longtime fan of Gamecocks baseball.
“Dr. Ford had a special relationship with our college forged over more than half a century as a student, professor, and dean,” Interim Dean Thomas E. Hodges said in a statement to faculty and staff. “As an undergraduate, he embraced his love for history, and as a graduate student, he discovered his talent for research and teaching. While serving as a professor and dean, he became one of the nation’s leading scholars of Southern history.”
In a 2023 interview, Ford explained that he came to the University of South Carolina as a physics major at a time when the nation’s first moon landing inspired a surge of interest in the sciences. But a roommate noticed that Ford was always reading history books in his spare time and suggested that he pursue his passion.
After completing his B.A. in history, Ford enrolled as a graduate student at USC, earning a Ph.D. in 1983. After a one-year appointment as a visiting professor at the University of California – Berkley, Ford returned to USC to spend the next four decades teaching, researching and writing about history.
He served USC in a variety of ways, including as dean of the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, senior vice provost and dean of graduate studies, and chair of the Department of History. After retiring in 2022, he became a scholar in residence at the Institute for Southern Studies, where he continued his research and writing.
Ford authored the award-winning books Origins of Southern Radicalism: The South Carolina Upcountry, 1800-1860 and Deliver Us From Evil: The Slavery Question in the Old South. In 2022, he published Empowering Communities: How Electric Cooperatives Transformed Rural South Carolina, and Understanding the American South: Slavery, Race, identity and the American Century appeared in 2024.
In 2023, Ford received the South Carolina Governor’s Award for the Humanities. Shortly before the ceremony honoring him, he remarked, “History, fairly and accurately told, is a valuable guide. It gives us the opportunity to make better decisions. It’s really important that we champion the humanities publicly."