Guide Note: Gerald Ford was the 38th President of the United States, taking over for Richard Nixon after his resignation amidst the Watergate Scandal. He was the fifth president to take office without having been directly elected, and the first president to assume office without having won a national election. He had become Nixon's Vice-President after Spiro Agnew's resignation on October 10, 1973.

Fast Facts:

Born on July 13, 1914 as Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Was a star football player at the University of Michigan, won 2 national titles
Received pro football offers from the Lions and Packers
Veteran of World War II
Spouse: Betty Ford
Member of the Warren Commission investigating the JFK Assassination
Officially ended the Vietnam War
His cabinet included: Donald Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, and Dick Cheney
Pardoned the man he replaced, Richard Nixon
Died December 26, 2006

Early Career

Ford was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 1949, representing Michigan's Fifth District, and became the Minority Leader of the House in 1965. During his time in the House, he served on the Warren Commission, investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Ford's job had primarily been to prepare an extensive biography of suspected assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

Vice-Presidency and Administration

Ford's ascension to the Vice-Presidency after Agnew's departure marked the first time the 25th Amendment's directions on replacing the position had ever been enacted. Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller to his old position. Less than one year later, on August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned, leaving Ford the nation's new President. One month after Nixon's resignation, Ford controversially offered him a full pardon.

During his brief administration, his cabinet was mainly made up of former Nixon appointees. His major policies while in office included support for the Equal Rights Amendment, initiating the final withdrawl of American forces from South Vietnam and entering into the Helsinki Accords with the Soviet Union.

Ford developed a reputation as an ineffectual or even comic figure. Chevy Chase mocked him as delusional and klutzy each week on Saturday Night Live. His anti-inflation campaign, known as "Whip Inflation Now" and featuring "WIN" buttons people were encouraged to wear, was regarded as a financial as well as a marketing blunder. As well, his administration's campaign against swine flu, once seen as a dire threat, eventually became a debacle, with the government advising that every citizen be vaccinated and then failing to provide the resources to make this possible. Eventually, the threat of swine flu was shown to be overblown, and it has been estimated that more Americans died from the vaccine than the illness.

View Note History

Gerald Ford

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Gerald Ford
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
WhiteHouse.gov: Biography of Gerald R. Ford
Ford Presidential Library: Online Documents, Photographs, and Exhibits
GeraldFordFoundation.org
Answers.com: Gerald Ford
YouTube: Gerald Ford Pardons Richard Nixon

Recent Gerald Ford News

Google News:
Reuters: For Gerald Ford, dead men do tell tales (Oct. 29, 2007)
Detroit Free Press: Ford May Get Statue in U.S. Capitol
The Detroit News: Stamp Honors Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford Background and Profiles

Ford Presidential Library: Gerald R. Ford Biography
Ford Presidential Library: Key Presidential Speeches
The National Archives: President Ford Executive Orders
Betty Ford Center
WhiteHouseKids.gov: Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford Blogs

Google Blog Search: Gerald Ford
Technorati: Gerald Ford
The New York Times: Caucus Blog: Warm Memories of Gerald Ford...
Michael Bérubé: In memory of the funky president
Washington Monthly: Gerald Ford Dies at Age 93...

Gerald Ford Memorials & Remembrance

Washington Post: Gerald R. Ford, 93, Dies; Led in Watergate's Wake
New York Times: Mr. Ford Gets the Last Laugh
YouTube: Tom Brokaw's Speech at President Ford's Funeral
YouTube: George W. Bush's Speech at President Ford's Funeral
YouTube: Henry Kissinger's Speech at President Ford's Funeral
University of Michigan: Ford School of Public Policy
The National Archives: Ford Presidential Library and Museum

Gerald Ford Photos

Ford Presidential Library: Photographs from the Ford Presidency
Ford Presidential Library: Media Photo Kits
Ford Presidential Library: Gerald and Betty Ford Historical Photographs
Google Image Search: Gerald Ford
Flickr: Gerald Ford clusters

Gerald Ford Audio & Video

The Following Are All From YouTube:
President Ford Assassination Attempt
Gerald Ford In His Own Words
A Video Tribute to Gerald Ford
YouTube: Nixon Resigns, Ford Introduced - 1974 Part 1 of 8 (Time 8:12)

Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5 | Pt 6 | Pt 7 | Pt 8

Gerald Ford Criticism and Controversy

President Ford's Proclaimation 4311, Pardoning Richard Nixon
YouTube: Gerald Ford Pardons Richard Nixon
Watergate.info: Ford's Pardon Speech and Nixon's Response
Future of Freedom Foundation: Ford's Legacy: Lawless Government

Gerald Ford Timeline

July 13, 1914: Born as Leslie Lynch King Jr. in Nebraska
1916: His mother marries Gerald Ford, Sr. in Michigan
1931-1935: Attends the University of Michigan
1934: Named MVP of Michigan's football team
1935: Legally changes his name to Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
1938-1941: Attends Yale Law School
1942-1946: Serves in the U.S. Navy
1948 - 1973: Serves as a member of the U.S. Congress
1948: Marries Betty Warren Bloomer in Michigan
1965: Becomes House Minority Leader
1973: Becomes Vice President of the U.S. after Spiro Agnew resigns
August 8, 1974: Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States
August 9, 1974: Mr. Ford is sworn in as the 38th President
Sepetember 4, 1974: Pardons Nixon
April 1975: Orders the evacuation of American personnel officially ending the Vietnam War
September 5, 1975: A Charles Manson follower attempts to assassinate President Ford
September 22, 1975: Another attempted assassination on President Ford
1976: Runs for re-election, loses to Jimmy Carter
1982: Betty Ford Center is dedicated
1994: Football jersey number is retired by the University of Michigan
1999: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton
2000: University of Michigan names its Public Policy school after Ford
December 26, 2006: Dies at age 93

Gerald Ford Books

Amazon.com: A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford
Amazon.com: Humor and the Presidency by Gerald R. Ford
Ford Presidential Library: A Selected Bibliography
Google Book Search: Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford Satire & Humor

YouTube: Homer Simpson and Gerald Ford
SNL Transcripts: Transcript: Chevy Chase as President Ford
Google Video: SNL - The Death of Gerald Ford
YouTube: Who Will You Miss More, Gerald Ford or James Brown?

Related Searches

Richard Nixon | Betty Ford | Michigan Wolverines Football | Vietnam War | Ronald Reagan | Jimmy Carter | Henry Kissinger | Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme | Sara Jane Moore

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