John Ford, one of the most versatile directors in Hollywood's history, was the first recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.  Ford was the director of over six hundred films, adapting his style from silent films to "talkies".  The following statement was offered by Charlton Heston, the chairman of the American Film Institute in 1973, to praise Ford.

On February 26, 1973, the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute voted to initiate an annual award to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to the enrichment of American culture through motion pictures and television.

The Trustees specified that the yearly recipient must be one whose talent has, in a fundamental way, advance the film art, and whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers, and the general public. The Trustees specified that the recipient must be one whose work has stood the test of time.

The Trustees voted unanimously that the first award would go to a man who clearly stands preeminent in the history of motion pictures — John Ford.

Altogether, John Ford’s films are a creative tapestry representing over 50 years of work. No individual has more fully explored on film the American experience. What Ma Joad says of her life in The Grapes of Wrath is true of Ford’s work, "…it’s all one flow, like a stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river, it goes right on."

The First Annual American Film Institute Award presented to John Ford on March 31, 1973.

I selected John Ford as one of the individuals that I thought affected society through the entertainment field for a number of reasons.  First, because Ford is so widely respected in Hollywood circles.   He has influenced some of the most famous actors in Hollywood and is credited as a major influence by more than a few.  Second, because many of Ford's films, particularly his westerns, have shaped the way many Americans think of American history.   Most people can conjure up at leas one image of John Wayne riding off into the sunset, the tall rugged cowboy, or the image of the World War II soldier, bravely fighting the "good fight".  These are images that are prompted by many John Ford movies.  But one of the major reasons that I choose John Ford is the fact that many average people have no idea who he is.  Ford made some of the greatest films ever, The Grapes of Wrath, Stagecoach, They Were Expendable, and The Searchers, just to name a few.  Ford did not just portray the common stereotype in his movies.  Many of his films were groundbreaking in the use of on location filming, taking his cast and crew and shooting action sequences out west instead of in a studio.  Ford also used his movies to portray the lives of the ordinary people.   Many of his westerns revolve around the lives and tribulations of the common man and women.  Ford even made what is called the "anti-western".  The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence is a film that looks at the so-called glory of western life and the illusion that has been created. 

John Ford helped shape the way an entire generation looked at American history.  The Grapes of Wrath brought the Great Depression back to Americans who had lived through it.  His World War II epics brought the war to the Homefront.  His westerns gave us all a taste of the "Old West" in all of it's supposed glory.  John Ford did not stop making movies until the mid-1960s.  He was a true pioneer and artist who shaped many of the ideals of American society, and yet, many Americans today have no idea who he is.