Tuscaloosa Businessman Ward McFarland To Be Honored At US Navy Memorial

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Longtime Tuscaloosa businessman and war hero Ward McFarland will be honored next week with a plaque at The US Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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The ceremony will be on June 8, honoring his service in the the United States Navy during World War II. During the bloody conflict, McFarland's vessel was torpedoed in the North Atlantic, resulted in him receiving a Purple Heart and a medical discharge.

Despite being granted a discharge from the Navy, McFarland voluntarily enlisted in the U.S Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field in Montgomery.

McFarland dedicated the years after his military service to practicing law, working as an educator and becoming one of the most successful real estate moguls in Alabama.

His work in real estate saw the the development of malls — including the former mall that bore his family's name — apartment complexes, medical buildings, restaurants, hotels, and neighborhoods.

McFarland also taught economics as an adjunct professor at The University of Alabama.

In his work at the statewide level, McFarland served Alabama Governor James W. "Big Jim" Folsom, Sr. in two Cabinet-level appointments — State Highway director from 1947-1951 and State Docks director from 1955-1959.

Jim Folsom, Jr. said of McFarland: “I have many fond memories of Ward Wharton McFarland, as he served in my father’s cabinet for many years. He was very instrumental in programs such as the Farm-to-Market initiative under the James E. ‘Big Jim’ Folsom administration, paving over 6,000 miles of road in 3 years. I always remembered him as a cordial person and one of my father’s key advisors during those years. Especially throughout his role in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Compact of 1959.”

Dean of the Alabama Congressional Delegation — U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville — and Folsom will be on hand June 8 for the dedication ceremony and to unveil McFarland’s plaque at the U.S. Navy Memorial.

“It is a privilege to witness Mr. McFarland’s memory enshrined on the U.S. Navy Memorial," Aderholt said. "His dedicated service to our country serves as a reminder to us all of the sacrifices and bravery of people like him that have made America the greatest country in the world. His service to our country and the state of Alabama will live far beyond our lifetimes, and his memory will forever be enshrined at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.”

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