Harrison Ford

Class of 1964: Film superstar

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away … Harrison Ford discovered a love of acting on the Ripon College campus.

He was born July 13, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. At Ripon, he majored in philosophy and participated in Sigma Nu/Theta Sigma Tau. He gave memorable theatre performances as Mac the Knife in “The Threepenny Opera,” George Antrobus in “The Skin of Our Teeth” and the narrator and El Gallo in “The Fantasticks.”

“I did a couple of plays, and people encouraged me,” he recalled in a March 2000 interview with Bangor Daily News while on a publicity tour. “It was the only thing I had found in college where I felt a sense of community and utility.”

He said in other interviews: “I took a drama class to increase my chances of graduating from college, not realizing that I would have to not only read books, but also perform on stage. … I just matured late, but I finally found myself.”

He also was the lead singer of a folk music band formed by his fraternity brothers, including Dave Schenck, Class of 1964, Jeff Thompson, Class of 1965, and Bill Haljun, Class of 1964, who played the fiddle, banjo and guitar.

His first wife was Mary Marquardt, Class of 1964.

Leaving Ripon just short of graduation, he headed to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Getting only small roles at first, he taught himself carpentry from a library book and became an accomplished, sought-after home carpenter.

His breakout acting role was as Bob Falfa in “American Graffiti” (1973). He then appeared in numerous blockbuster and record-breaking films, including the original series of “Star Wars” films starting in 1977, as Han Solo; in Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, as roguish archaeologist Indiana Jones, and subsequent films; “Witness” (1985); “Patriot Games” (1992) and “Clear and Present Danger” (1994) and other films in the series, as Jack Ryan; “The Fugitive” (1993) as Dr. Richard Kimble; “Working Girl”; “Air Force One” as the U.S. president; and “Captain America: Brave New World” (2025).

Honors include an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for “Witness”; and Golden Globe nominations for “Witness,” “Sabrina” (1995), “The Fugitive” and “The Mosquito Coast” (1986).

In the 1994 film “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” he gave a shoutout to his former Ripon College philosophy professor William Tyree when his character said: “Archaeology is the search for fact, not truth. If it’s truth you’re looking for, Dr. Tyree’s philosophy class is right down the hall.”

More recently, he starred in the television series “1923” with costar Helen Mirren and the 2025 movie “Captain America.”

In a career spanning six decades, he has starred in many of the highest-grossing films in history.
In October 1997, Ford was ranked No. 1 in Empire (UK) magazine’s list of “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.” The National Association of Theatre Owners named him Star of the Century in 1994. He also has received a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Golden Globes; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his role in “Witness”; and an honorary Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Strongly committed to environmental concerns, he serves on the board of directors of Conservation International and has received several awards for his work in nature and wildlife preservation. The species of a Central American ant (Peidole harrisonfordi) and a spider (Calponia Harrisonfordi) are named in his honor.

Ford is a private pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and has personally provided emergency helicopter services on occasion. He also has served as chairman of the Young Eagles Program of the Experimental Aircraft Association, based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Of his acting career, he has said: “I love it. I don’t feel as useful any place as I do on a movie set” and “… I feel comfortable wrestling with how to make behavior out of words on a page and tell a story, and I’m still excited about the prospect of telling a story. I think this is a service occupation – telling stories. We need it. Whether it’s drawing on caves or religious tenets, we love telling stories.”