Frederick Fergus Alford Sr. (1899 - 1964)

Born 11 Jun 1899 in Texas, USA

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 15 Oct 1964 at age 65 in Texas, USA

Biography

Sources

• Find A Grave: Frederick Fergus Alford, Sr.

• The Alford Family Association

Obituary

MORNING NEWS Dallas, Dallas Co., TX Wednesday, 15 October 1964

The man responsible for turning a bankrupt warehouse into a multimillioin-dollar concern and the world's largest refrigerated complex died here Wednesday afternoon.

Fred Fergus Alford Sr., 65, who entered the refrigeration storage business while a junior accountant for a Dallas firm, had been president of the Alford Refrigerated Warehouses since forming the company in 1937. He also was a prominent Dallas sports figure.

In 1936, while working as accountant with Ernst & Ernst Auditing Co. of Dallas, Alford was sent to run an audit on the Merchants Cold Storage Co. of Dallas. The company was then behind on its rent to a California brokerage company and Alford agreed to take over management of the firm. In 1937, while still with Ernst & Ernst, he formed Fred F. Alford Refrigeration Co. as a side-line job.

A decade later, the side-line had become the largest and the first mechanized refrigerated warehouse complex in the world with the completion of a 20,000,000-cubic-foot warehouse at 318 Cadiz.

Alford's success in business had often been credited not only to determination but to his generous policies toward employes. At one time company benefits were listed as including unlimited coverage of family medical expenses, optional guaranteed wages, investment opportunities and in some cases college education for employes' children.

Dallas financial leaders had often cited the Alford Employe Credit Union for its unusual operation which in a 16-year history had paid as much as 22 per cent dividends.

Alford had served as vice-president of the National Association of Refrigeration Warehouses in 1949, president of the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Accountants in 1939. In 1954, he was appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture's committee on the cold storage industry.

As a sportsman, Alford won numerous titles in skeet shooting and was the founder of the annual Pan-American International Skeet Championships at the Dallas Gun Club.

In 1953, Mr. Alford and his wife set a world record for husband and wife teams in skeet shooting with 497x500 in competition. He and his wife also hold the 300-target match record of 299x300 which they won in 1953. He was named to the Men's All-American Skeet Team in 1953 and in 1955 placed fourth in the Pan-American Olympics.

A native of Wills Point, Mr. Alford was the son of A.N. Alford, a Confederate captain from Crockett. He attended Wills Point schools, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday in Sparkman's Funeral Chapel, 2115 Ross. Entombment will be in Hillcrest Mausoleum.

Survivors, all of Dallas: Wife; a son, Frederick F. Alford Jr., and two grandchildren.