Congressman Harold Ford Jr., from Tennessee, is set to visit UTM on Wed. at 3 p.m. in Watkins Auditorium.

The office of multicultural affairs is sponsoring Ford's visit. Congressmen Ford was elected to serve the ninth district of Tennessee at the young age of 26. He is now serving his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ford is said to represent a new generation of political leaders who seek to replace the partisan politics of the past with fresh ideas and a pragmatic approach to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Ford has served on many committees during his term in Congress. Among those committees are the House budget committee and the house financial services committee. He is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Blue Dog Coalition.

During his tenure as congressmen, Ford has advocated for increasing college opportunities. He authored the "Make College Affordable Act" to help working families meet the rising tuition costs.

Ford is a consistent supporter not only for increased funding for education, but also for stronger accountability -- ideas which formed the basis of the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," the bipartisan legislation overhauling the federal role in K-12 education.

The newly selected director of multicultural affairs, Luther Mercer, has primarily been the one who arranged congressmen Ford's visit to UTM. "UTM is extremely fortunate to have someone of Luther's caliber on the student affairs staff," Dr. Katie High, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, said.

Ford's visit to campus is likely to be one of several initiatives overseen by the multicultural office, aimed at uniting groups of students.

The Student Government Association at UTM has voted to have a reception for Congressmen Ford prior to his lecture at 3 p.m. Additional details about this reception should be available by the first of the week. All students and guests will be invited.

Congressman Ford received his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1996. He earned a bachelor's degree in American History from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. Born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 11, 1970, Congressman Ford is the eldest son of former U.S. Representative Harold E. Ford and Dorothy Ford. He has two brothers, Jake and Isaac Ford.

Mercer's office is in the Division of Student Affairs, located in the Hall Moody Administration Building.