Great-grandson of James A. Ashley. Lud Ashley was a veteran, lawyer, Congressman (1955-1981), and businessman.

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Born in Toledo, he was a native of the Old West End neighborhood.  Following military service during World War II, he completed his studies and graduated from Yale University in 1948.  At Yale he became a lifelong close friend of fellow student, George H. W. Bush.  He studied law at the University of Toledo and Ohio State University. In 1954, he won the first of 13 terms to represent Ohio's 9th District in the House of Representatives.  

 

In Congress, he played key roles in passing civil rights, housing, and anti-poverty legislation. Just days before his death (June 15, 2010), Toledo's federal courthouse on Speilbusch Ave. was formally named the James M. and Thomas W. Ludlow Ashley United States Courthouse