William Ford Jr. Reportedly to Head Ford

William Clay Ford Jr. will succeed Alex Trotman as chairman of Detroit-based Ford Motor Co. when he retires at the end of 1999, which would make him the first Ford to run the company since Henry Ford II retired in 1980, according to Time magazine. In its Dec. 8 issue, Time said the Ford board of directors will soon name Ford, vice chairman of the family-owned Detroit Lions, to be the next chairman and that Jacques Nasser, president of automotive operations, will become the next chief executive officer.