Ford, Gerald Rudolph (1913-2006), was the only vice president of the United States to become president upon the resignation of a chief executive. Richard M. Nixon resigned as president on Aug. 9, 1974, and Ford took office that same day. When Nixon left the presidency, he faced almost certain impeachment because of his role in the Watergate political scandal.
Ford had been vice president for only eight months when he became president. Nixon had appointed him to succeed Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, who resigned while under criminal investigation for graft. Ford was the first person to be appointed to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency. He also was the only person to serve as both vice president and president who did not win election to either office. In the 1976 election, Ford was defeated in his bid for a full term as president by former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia, his Democratic opponent.
Ford, a Michigan Republican, had been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 13 straight times before he replaced Agnew. He also had served as House minority leader.
The American people warmly welcomed Ford to the presidency. He had a calm, friendly manner and a reputation for honesty. But Ford’s popularity dropped sharply just one month into his term after he pardoned Nixon for all federal crimes that Nixon might have committed as president. Many Americans felt that Nixon should have been brought to trial in the Watergate scandal. Others believed that Nixon should not have been pardoned until he admitted his role in the scandal.
Ford faced major economic problems, including a recession, double-digit inflation, and high unemployment. The economy began to recover in 1975, though the unemployment rate remained high. U.S. foreign policy suffered a major defeat in 1975, when the Vietnam War ended with a Communist victory.
Ford stood 6 feet 1 inch (185 centimeters) tall and loved sports. He often turned to the sports section of his newspaper before reading any other news. Ford starred as a football player in high school and college, and football had a major influence on his life. “Thanks to my football experience,” he once said, “I know the value of team play. It is, I believe, one of the most important lessons to be learned and practiced in our lives.” Ford swam regularly and also enjoyed golf and skiing.
Early life
Family background.
Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. His father, Leslie Lynch King, Sr., operated a family wool business there. Leslie’s parents were divorced two years after his birth. His mother, Dorothy Gardner King, then took him to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where her parents lived. In 1916, she married Gerald R. Ford, a paint salesman, who adopted the boy and gave him his name. Ford was the only U.S. president to have undergone a complete name change. The stocky, blond youth, who became known as “Jerry,” grew up with three younger half brothers, James, Richard, and Thomas.
Boyhood.
Jerry’s parents encouraged him to develop pride in civic responsibility. His stepfather participated in programs to aid needy youths in Grand Rapids and took an active interest in local politics. His mother devoted much of her time to charity projects and other activities of the Grace Episcopal Church, where the Fords worshiped. Jerry joined the Boy Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest level in Scouting. He later proudly referred to himself as the nation’s “first Eagle Scout vice president.”
Jerry was a strong, husky boy who excelled in sports. He first gained public attention as the star center of the South High School football team. He was selected to the all-city high school football team three times and was named to the all-state team as a high school senior.
At school, Jerry usually wore a suit and tie, though most boys in those days wore a sport shirt, slacks, and sweater. He studied hard and received good grades. He also won a contest in which he was chosen the most popular high school senior in Grand Rapids.
As a teen-ager, Jerry waited on tables and washed dishes at a small restaurant across the street from South High School. One day, his real father came in and introduced himself to the startled youth. Jerry knew about his natural father but had no recollection of him. King asked Jerry if he would like to live with the King family. Jerry told King that he considered the Fords his family.
College student.
In 1931, Ford entered the University of Michigan. He earned good grades and played center on the undefeated Michigan football teams of 1932 and 1933. In 1934, his teammates named him the team’s most valuable player. He played center on the college team that lost to the Chicago Bears, 5 to 0, in the 1935 All-Star Football Game.
Ford graduated from Michigan in 1935. The Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers offered him contracts to play professional football, but Ford had decided to study law. He accepted a job as assistant football coach and boxing coach at Yale University, hoping he could also study law there. Ford coached full-time at Yale from 1935 until 1938, taking law classes part-time. In 1938, when Yale Law School accepted him for full-time study, he continued to coach full-time. Ford received his law degree from Yale in 1941. He ranked in the top third of his graduating class.
Grand Rapids lawyer
In June 1941, Ford was admitted to the Michigan bar. Shortly afterward, he and Philip W. Buchen, a former roommate at the University of Michigan, opened a law office in Grand Rapids. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, and Ford soon volunteered for the United States Navy.
Naval officer.
Ford entered the Navy as an ensign in April 1942. He taught physical training at a base in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for a year. Then he became the physical-training director and assistant navigation officer of the U.S.S. Monterey, an aircraft carrier. In 1943 and 1944, the Monterey took part in every big naval battle in the Pacific Ocean. A scary moment for Ford came in late 1944, when he almost fell off the carrier’s deck during a violent typhoon. In January 1946, Ford was discharged as a lieutenant commander.
Entry into politics.
Ford resumed his law career in Grand Rapids and became active in a local Republican reform group. Leaders of the organization, called the Home Front, included U.S. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan, who had helped establish the United Nations, and Ford’s stepfather. The two men urged Ford to challenge U.S. Representative Bartel J. Jonkman of Michigan’s fifth congressional district in the 1948 Republican primary.
An isolationist, Jonkman believed that the United States should stay out of foreign affairs as much as possible. Ford had supported that policy before World War II, but the war changed his views. He now supported an active international role for the United States. Ford defeated Jonkman in the primary and then beat Fred Barr, his Democratic opponent in the November election.
Marriage.
In 1947, Ford met Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer (April 8, 1918-July 8, 2011). She was born in Chicago and moved to Grand Rapids with her family when she was 3 years old. Her father, William S. Bloomer, was a machinery salesman. Her mother, Hortense, took an active interest in Grand Rapids community affairs.
As a child, Betty became interested in dancing. She continued to study dance and, during the 1930’s, joined a New York City group directed by the noted dancer Martha Graham. Betty also worked as a fashion model. In 1942, she returned to Grand Rapids and married William Warren, a local furniture salesman. They were divorced in 1947.
When Ford met Betty, she was working as a fashion coordinator for a Grand Rapids department store. They were married on Oct. 15, 1948, just before Ford first won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Ford campaigned on the day of his wedding and arrived late for the ceremony. The Fords had four children, Michael Gerald (1950-…), John Gardner (1952-…), Steven Meigs (1956-…), and Susan Elizabeth (1957-…). The family lived in a four-bedroom house in Alexandria, Virginia.
Career in Congress
Rise to power.
Ford gained a reputation as a loyal Republican and a hard worker during his early terms in Congress. In 1950, he won a seat on the House Appropriations Committee and became an expert on the federal budget.
During the early 1960’s, Ford became increasingly popular among young Republican members of Congress. In 1963, they helped elect him chairman of the Republican Conference of the House. In this position, his first leadership role in the House, Ford presided at meetings of the Republican representatives.
In November 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Johnson appointed Ford as one of the seven members of the commission. Ford and a member of his staff, John R. Stiles, later wrote a book about Lee Harvey Oswald, Portrait of the Assassin (1965).
House minority leader.
In 1965, Ford was chosen House minority leader. As minority leader, he urged House Republicans to do more than just criticize the proposals of Democrats, who held a majority in the House. Ford worked for Republican alternatives to Democratic programs.
Ford attracted national attention when he appeared with Senate Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen on a series of televised Republican press conferences. The series, which reporters called the “Ev and Jerry Show,” drew increased attention to Republican views.
Ford supported President Johnson’s early policies in the Vietnam War. But by 1967, with no end of the war in sight, Ford began to criticize U.S. military strategy in Vietnam. That year, he gave a speech entitled “Why Are We Pulling Our Punches in Vietnam?” The speech encouraged Republicans to oppose Johnson’s war policies. In addition, Republicans and Southern Democrats joined under Ford’s leadership in opposing many of Johnson’s social programs. Ford considered these programs either too costly or unnecessary.
In 1968, Richard M. Nixon was elected president. The Democrats kept control of both houses of Congress, but Ford helped win approval of a number of Nixon’s policies concerning the Vietnam War and inflation.
In 1970, Ford led an effort to impeach William O. Douglas, a liberal associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ford strongly criticized Douglas’s vote in a case involving Ralph Ginzburg, the editor of a magazine that had paid the justice $350 for an article. Ford also objected to Douglas’s encouragement of political dissent in various writings. The matter ended after a House investigating committee reported that there was a lack of evidence to support Douglas’s impeachment.
The resignation of Agnew.
In 1972, Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew won reelection in a landslide. That same year, Ford won election to his 13th successive term in the House.
Early in 1973, federal investigators uncovered evidence that Agnew had accepted bribes while serving as Maryland’s governor and later as vice president. Because of the charges against him, Agnew resigned from the vice presidency on Oct. 10, 1973. Nixon nominated Ford to replace Agnew. The nomination required the approval of both houses of Congress under procedures established in 1967 by the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Previously, vice presidential vacancies had remained unfilled until the next presidential election.
The Senate approved Ford’s nomination by a 92 to 3 vote on November 27. The House approved it, 387 to 35, on December 6, and Ford was sworn in as the 40th vice president later that day. He became the first appointed vice president in the nation’s history.
Vice president (1973-1974)
When Ford became vice president, Congress was investigating Nixon’s role in the Watergate scandal, which had begun in June 1972. Some members of Congress believed that Nixon was hiding evidence. The scandal arose after Nixon’s reelection committee became involved in a burglary at Democratic national headquarters in the Watergate building complex in Washington, D.C. Later, evidence linked several top White House aides with the burglary or with an effort to conceal information about it.
Speaking tour.
The Watergate scandal shook public confidence in Nixon, even though he insisted he had no part in it. As vice president, Ford went on a nationwide speaking tour and expressed his faith in Nixon. He addressed business, civic, and youth groups in cities throughout the country. Ford also took part in many Republican fund-raising activities and campaigned for Republican candidates. By mid-1974, the vice president had visited about 40 states and made about 500 public appearances.
The resignation of Nixon.
In July 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that Nixon be impeached. It voted to adopt three articles of impeachment for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The first article accused the president of interfering with justice by acting to hide evidence about the Watergate burglary from federal law-enforcement officials. The other articles charged that Nixon had abused presidential powers and illegally withheld evidence from the judiciary committee.
Ford continued to defend Nixon, arguing that the president had committed no impeachable offense. Ford predicted that the House of Representatives would not impeach Nixon.
Then, on August 5, Nixon released transcripts of taped White House conversations that clearly supported the first proposed article of impeachment. Almost all of Nixon’s remaining support in Congress collapsed. The Republican leaders of both the House and the Senate warned Nixon that he faced certain impeachment and removal from office.
Nixon resigned as president on the morning of August 9. At noon that day, Ford took the oath of office as the 38th president of the United States. Warren E. Burger, chief justice of the United States, administered the presidential oath of office to Ford in the East Room of the White House. Ford’s inaugural address contained one of the most famous lines from his presidency, as he reassured scandal-weary Americans that “our long national nightmare is over.”
Ford’s administration (1974-1977)
Ford kept all of Nixon’s Cabinet officers at the start of his administration. He nominated Nelson A. Rockefeller, former governor of New York, as vice president. Rockefeller took office in December 1974, after both the Senate and the House confirmed his nomination.
Political philosophy,
Ford described himself as a conservative in fiscal matters, a moderate on social policy, and an internationalist in foreign affairs. As president, one of his top priorities was to limit government spending and decrease the federal budget deficit. A large deficit, he feared, would increase inflation and harm the economy. Ford also believed in cutting taxes and reducing government regulations that he felt hurt business activity.
Early problems.
Once in office, Ford confronted soaring inflation and a loss of public confidence in the government. Inflation caused hardships among many Americans, especially the poor and the elderly. Sharp rises in prices also threatened to cause a severe business slump.
Public faith in government had plunged to its lowest level in years, largely because of the Watergate scandal. In addition, Nixon had devoted so much time to defending himself during the investigations that he had been unable to concentrate on government policy.
Fighting on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus provided the first foreign crisis for the new president. In August 1974, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus and took control of a large part of the island. The take-over occurred after Turkish Cypriots strongly protested the formation of a new government by Greek Cypriots. Angry Greeks, Greek Cypriots, and Americans of Greek ancestry charged that the United States should have used its influence to stop the Turks. Over Ford’s objections, Congress passed a ban on military aid to Turkey. The measure remained in effect until Jimmy Carter’s presidency.
The national scene.
Democrats won many seats in Congress during the November 1974 midterm elections, and the new 94th Congress had a large Democratic majority. Although Ford remained personally popular on Capitol Hill, he had political battles with the Democratic-controlled Congress, which opposed many of his policies. Ford vetoed 66 bills. He believed most of these bills would have increased the federal budget deficit.
The Nixon pardon
severely hurt Ford’s early popularity. On Sept. 8, 1974, he pardoned Nixon for all federal crimes the former president might have committed as chief executive. Ford said he took the action to end divisions within the nation and to refocus the country’s attention on domestic and diplomatic problems. But the pardon angered millions of Americans. Many of them believed that the government should have brought Nixon to trial. Others felt that Ford should not have granted the pardon until Nixon had admitted his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Loading the player...
Gerald Ford pardons Nixon
The amnesty program.
Eight days after he pardoned Nixon, Ford offered amnesty to draft dodgers and deserters of the Vietnam War period. The program required most of these men to work in a public service job for up to two years. About 22,000 of the approximately 106,000 eligible men applied for amnesty under the program. Most of the rest objected to the work requirement and refused to apply.
The economy.
At the beginning of his administration, Ford called inflation the nation’s “public enemy Number 1.” He established the Council on Wage and Price Stability to expose inflationary wage and price increases.
To slow inflation, Ford proposed small tax increases for corporations, families, and individuals. But he dropped these plans later in 1974 after a recession struck the nation. Ford proposed a tax cut to stimulate the economy. Congress passed the measure, and Ford signed it in March 1975.
By mid-1975, inflation slowed and the economy began to recover from the recession. But in May that year, nearly 9 percent of the nation’s labor force had no jobs—the highest level of unemployment since 1941. The unemployment rate dropped slowly during the recovery. In October 1976, unemployment still stood at about 8 percent, which hurt Ford politically. His record on inflation was much better, however. During 1976, the inflation rate ran below 6 percent.
Energy policy.
During the 1970’s, the nation suffered energy shortages. To end the energy crisis, Ford proposed eliminating price controls on oil, which created shortages. Congress resisted Ford’s proposals, but he signed legislation that gradually reduced controls and encouraged energy conservation. He also emphasized the use of energy sources such as coal instead of oil.
Two attempted assassinations
of Ford occurred in California during September 1975. The first attempt, by Lynette Alice Fromme, a follower of a convicted murderer named Charles Manson, took place on September 5 in Sacramento. A Secret Service agent saw Fromme pointing a pistol at Ford and grabbed the gun before it was fired. On September 22, Sara Jane Moore, who had been associated with groups protesting United States government policies, shot at Ford in San Francisco but missed. Both women were convicted of attempted assassination of a president and sentenced to life imprisonment. Moore was released in 2007.
Foreign affairs.
Ford relied heavily on the guidance of Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, who had also been Nixon’s chief adviser on foreign policy. In 1975, Ford and Kissinger helped Egypt and Israel settle a territorial dispute that had resulted from a 1973 war between the two nations. Ford continued Nixon’s program to improve U.S. relations with China and the Soviet Union. He visited both countries, and he also became the first U.S. president to visit Japan.
The Vietnam War
ended in April 1975, after Communist North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam. That same month, Communist troops also took over Cambodia, which borders Vietnam on the west. Shortly before South Vietnam fell, Ford asked Congress to give that nation $722 million in emergency military aid. But Congress rejected the request. Ford arranged to evacuate refugees from South Vietnam. About 100,000 of them came to the United States.
The Mayaguez seizure.
In May 1975, Cambodian Communist troops seized the Mayaguez, a U.S. merchant ship, in the Gulf of Thailand. Ford sent 200 U.S. Marines to the area, and they quickly recaptured the ship and rescued its 39 crew members.
Meetings with foreign leaders.
In July 1975, Ford traveled to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Helsinki Accords, signed by Ford and the leaders of 34 other nations, promoted human rights and greater freedom in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Ford regarded this agreement as his most important foreign policy achievement. In 1975 and 1976, Ford also met with the leaders of the key allies of the United States. The meetings marked the start of annual Group of Seven (G-7) summits.
Life in the White House
was relaxed during Ford’s presidency. Ford tried to improve presidential relations with reporters and granted many interviews. The Fords impressed visitors with their personal warmth and friendliness. They liked to entertain and invited over 900 guests to a White House Christmas party for members of Congress in 1974. The Fords especially enjoyed dancing. A highlight of Ford’s presidency was the 1976 Bicentennial, when the United States observed the 200th anniversary of its independence. As part of the celebrations, Ford visited Philadelphia and rang the Liberty Bell.
Susan Ford was the only one of the four Ford children who lived in the White House during most of Ford’s presidency. As a gift, Susan gave her father a pet dog, a golden retriever named Liberty. For vacations, the Fords often went to Vail, Colorado.
Betty Ford underwent surgery for breast cancer two months after Ford became president. She won the admiration of millions when she resumed her busy schedule of activities after recovering from the operation. Mrs. Ford also became noted for her support of women’s rights. She campaigned for adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment was designed to give women the same rights men had in business and other fields.
The 1976 election.
Former Governor Ronald Reagan of California challenged Ford for the 1976 Republican presidential nomination. The two fought a close, bitter contest in the state primary elections. Ford narrowly won the nomination on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. At his request, the convention nominated Senator Robert J. Dole of Kansas for vice president. Their Democratic opponents were former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia and Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota.
During his campaign against Carter, Ford pledged to continue policies that he believed had brought about economic recovery and lower inflation. Carter charged that Ford’s policies had contributed to the continuing high rate of unemployment. Reminding voters of the Watergate scandal, Carter also promised, “I will never lie to you.” The campaign included the second series of nationally televised debates between presidential candidates in U.S. history. The first series took place in 1960 between John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, and Nixon, then the Republican nominee. In the 1976 election, Carter defeated Ford by 1,678,069 popular votes out of over 811/2 million. Ford carried 27 states, while Carter carried 23 states and the District of Columbia. But Carter got 297 electoral votes compared to Ford’s 240.
Later years
After Ford left the White House, he moved to Rancho Mirage, California. He also had a summer home in Beaver Creek, Colorado. He served on the board of directors of several U.S. companies and lectured at colleges and universities. In 1979, he wrote his autobiography, A Time to Heal. The book’s title reflected what Ford viewed as his role in history—a president who “healed” the nation after the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, and economic troubles. At the 1980 Republican National Convention, Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan asked Ford to be his running mate, but Ford declined. In 1981, the Gerald R. Ford Museum opened in Grand Rapids and the Gerald R. Ford Library opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ford and his wife became known for their support of charitable causes in their California and Colorado communities. In 1982, Betty Ford helped found the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage. The center treats alcoholism and drug abuse. She helped open the center after seeking treatment in 1978 for her own addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. The Fords also helped establish and fund a domestic violence center, a children’s museum, and other nonprofit facilities.
Ford died on Dec. 26, 2006, at his home in Rancho Mirage. He is buried on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.
