Question: Facts:   - headercolor: lightsteelblue      - birth date: september 14 , 1931    - name: gilbert ford    - birth place: tulia , texas , u.s.   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of gilbert ford .
Answer:
gilbert `` gib '' ford -lrb- born september 14 , 1931 in tulia , texas -rrb- is an american former basketball player and business executive , who competed in the 1956 summer olympics as part of the american basketball team , which won the gold medal .he played as a student at the university of texas .he worked for thirty-five years at converse , inc. , ultimately becoming the company 's chairman and ceo .a native of texas , ford played for amarillo high school .in 1950 he was a texas high school all state player and a participant in the texas high school all star game .his name is enshrined in the texas high school basketball hall of fame .following high school , ford played basketball for the university of texas from 1950-1954 , and was co-captain of the team his senior year , when the team was a co-champion of the southwest conference .he was named to various all-swc teams and took part in the 1954 shrine east/west college all star game in kansas city .in 1986 , he was inducted into the university of texas longhorn hall of honor .after graduation from texas in 1954 , ford was a starter for the famous phillips 66 oilers , which won the national aau championship in 1955 , and the national industrial basketball league championship in 1955 and 1958 .while serving in the air force , ford played on the 1956 all air force team and the all armed forces team , which qualified for the 1956 olympic trials .ford equaled his success on the court in his business career .in august 1994 , he was appointed chairman of the board and ceo of converse , inc. .he retired december 1 , 1996 after 35 years of service with the company .ford first joined converse as a member of the sales staff in 1961 , and served in a number of executive capacities before becoming president of the company in 1986 .ford has been affiliated with several sporting goods and footwear manufacturers ' organizations .he served two terms , 1982-85 and 1991-93 , as the chairman of the board of the sporting goods manufacturers association -lrb-...