Sheila Ford Hamp becomes principal owner of the Detroit Lions

There was a change in ownership for the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, as Sheila Ford Hamp became the primary owner of the Lions, as she took over from her mother, Martha Ford. The change is not all that surprising, as Martha Ford is 94 years old.

The Lions organization remains in the Ford family. William Clay Ford Sr. was the principal owner of the Lions from 1961 to 2013, and his wife Martha took over as Lions owner in 2014, following the death of William Clay Ford Sr. of pneumonia on March 9, 2014. In addition to being the principal owner, William Clay Ford Sr. was the Lions’ president, chairman, and chairman of the board of directors. Martha meanwhile, was also the Lions’ chairman.

The Ford family generated their wealth from the Ford Motor Company. William Clay Ford Sr. was the grandson of Henry Ford, who was the founder of the Ford Motor Company in 1903. In 2017, the Ford Motor Company was the 11th wealthiest company in the United States, as it generated $156.7 billion in revenues.

Sheila Ford Hamp meanwhile becomes the 10th female owner in the National Football League. She joins Kim Pegula of the Buffalo Bills, Virginia Halas McCaskey of the Chicago Bears, Dee Haslam of the Cleveland Browns, Janice McNair of the Houston Texans, Carol Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders, Gayle Benson of the New Orleans Saints, Denise DeBartolo York of the San Francisco 49ers, Jody Allen of the Seattle Seahawks, and Amy Adams Strunk of the Tennessee Titans.

Ford Hamp has taken an active role in Lions management since her mother Martha took over as owner in 2014. Sheila played tennis for Yale University where she got a bachelor’s degree, and then got her masters in teaching and early childhood education from Boston University.