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==Background==

==Background==

Alford was born in tiny New Hope near Murfreesboro in Pike County in southwestern Arkansas to Thomas H. Alford (1894-1985) and the former Ida Womack (1897-1978).<ref name=findagrave/> He attended [public schools at Rector in Clay County in northeastern Arkansas. He graduated from [[high school]] in 1932, a year ahead of schedule.<ref name=obit/>

Alford was born in tiny New Hope, located near Murfreesboro in southwestern Pike County, to Thomas H. Alford (1894–1985) and the former Ida Womack (1897–1978).<ref name=findagrave/> He attended [[public school]]s at Rector in Clay County in northeastern Arkansas. He graduated from [[high school]] in 1932, a year ahead of schedule.<ref name=obit/>

Alford attended what is now Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in eastern Arkansas, the [[University of Central Arkansas in Conway in Faulkner County, and he received his medical degree in 1939 from the [[University of Arkansas]] for Medical Sciences at Little Rock. He served his internship at St. Anthony's Hospital in [[Oklahoma City]] and his residency in general surgery at Missouri Pacific Hospital in Little Rock. He received post-graduate training at the [[University of Illinois]] at Urbana-Champaign.

Alford attended what is now Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in eastern Arkansas, the [[University of Central Arkansas in Conway in Faulkner County, and he received his medical degree in 1939 from the [[University of Arkansas]] for Medical Sciences at Little Rock. He served his internship at St. Anthony's Hospital in [[Oklahoma City]] and his residency in general surgery at Missouri Pacific Hospital in Little Rock. He received post-graduate training at the [[University of Illinois]] at Urbana-Champaign.