Ford announces link-up with UCC to unearth future entrepreneurs

Henry Ford initially rejected a proposal from Cork to confer him with an honorary degree, but there were no such problems when his great-grandson was the proud recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from UCC during his recent visit.

In 1926, Cork National University, now UCC, wrote to Henry to inform him it wanted to bestow him with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. Unsure as to what this entailed, Henry’s spokesman rejected the offer on the grounds that the motor boss had “no legal talent”, before the concept was explained and he eventually accepted the title.

Last month, William Clay Ford Jr followed in his ancestor’s footsteps by receiving an honorary Doctorate of Economic Science from UCC and the National University of Ireland.