# Hannibal Ford

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{{short description|American engineer}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Hannibal C. Ford
| image              = 
| caption            = Ford, date unknown
| birth_name         = Hannibal Choate Ford
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1877|05|08}}
| birth_place        = {{nowrap|[Dryden, New York](/source/Dryden%2C_New_York), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S.}}
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1955|03|13|1877|05|08}}
| death_place        = {{nowrap|[Kings Point, New York](/source/Kings_Point%2C_New_York), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S.}}
| occupation         = [Engineer](/source/Engineer)
| known_for          = Developing the Ford Mk 1A Computer
| spouse             = {{marriage|Katherine Moyer|July 4, 1918}}
| parents            = {{ublist|Susan Augusta Giles|Abram Millard Ford}}
}}

'''Hannibal Choate Ford''' (1877–1955) was an American inventor and electrical engineer best known for his work during the first half of the 20th century.

== Biography ==

Hannibal C. Ford was born in [Dryden, New York](/source/Dryden%2C_New_York) on May 8, 1877, to Susan Augusta Giles and Abram Millard Ford,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/STS.035/www/PDFs/Newell.pdf|title=Clymer, Ben A. "The Mechanical Analog Computers of Hannibal Ford and William Newell." IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 15, no. 2, 1993}}</ref> the publisher and editor of the weekly ''Dryden Herald''. He graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cornell University in 1903. While there he worked in the [Sibley College](/source/Sibley_College) electrical engineering laboratory.

Ford began working for [Elmer Ambrose Sperry](/source/Elmer_Ambrose_Sperry)’s [Sperry Gyroscope Company](/source/Sperry_Gyroscope_Company) in 1909, where he quickly became chief engineer and helped turn the [gyrocompass](/source/gyrocompass) into a military-grade product. He left Sperry in 1915 to launch what would become the [Ford Instrument Company](/source/Ford_Instrument_Company). Before retiring in 1943, he would hold the patents to over 50 inventions, many of which would prove to be integral to the development of fire control [rangekeepers](/source/Rangekeeper) and analog computers used by the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/before-silicon-valley-got-nasty-the-pirates-of-analog-alley-fought-it-out/|title=Before Silicon Valley got nasty, the Pirates of Analog Alley fought it out|first=Sean|last=Gallagher|date=April 24, 2014|website=Ars Technica}}</ref>

He was married to Katherine Moyer on July 4, 1918. His sister, Grace Conable, was married to noted 20th-century architect [George W. Conable](/source/George_W._Conable), who is best known for designing [Holy Trinity Lutheran Church](/source/Holy_Trinity_Lutheran_Church_(Manhattan)) (1908) and [Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church](/source/Messiah_Mission_Church_(New_York_City)) (1926).

He died on March 13, 1955, in [Kings Point, New York](/source/Kings_Point%2C_New_York) shortly after suffering a stroke.

== Notable Inventions ==

[Ford Mk 1A Computer](/source/Ship_gun_fire-control_system), an electromechanical fire control computer designed for use on ships that could predict a target’s position based on data inputs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/03/14/archives/hc-ford-is-dead-inventor-was-77-had-patents-on-devices-that-led-to.html|title=H.C. FORD IS DEAD; INVENTOR WAS 77; Had Patents on Devices That Led to Design of Gunfire Computers, Bombsights|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 14, 1955}}</ref>

Ford Mk 2 Computer, known as the "Baby Ford," a small-ship version of the [Ford Mk 1A](/source/Fire-control_system) used in destroyers and the secondary batteries of larger ships.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Hannibal}}
Category:20th-century American inventors
Category:1877 births
Category:1955 deaths

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hannibal Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Ford) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Ford?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.