Ford's early life

As a young boy, Ford was active in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the second highest rank of Life Scout. In 1960, Ford graduated from Maine East High School in Illinois. He later attended Ripon College in Wisconsin where he took a drama class in his final year to overcome his shyness. It was this short introduction to drama where Ford first developed a fascination with acting.

Ford dropped out of Ripon College and signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and then later, Universal. In his first movies and TV appearances, such as The Virginian in 1962 and Ironside in 1967, Harrison Ford became discouraged, unhappy with the roles he was being offered and turned to a professional career in carpentry.