It would have been much more beneficial to Ronald Reagan. In 1999, Ford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor “awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”. The wedding was delayed until shortly before the election because, as The New York Times reported in a 1974 profile of Betty Ford, "Jerry Ford was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced exdancer. [143], In addition to the pardon dispute and lingering anti-Republican sentiment, Ford had to counter a plethora of negative media imagery. From the end of April 1945 to January 1946, he was on the staff of the Naval Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois, at the rank of lieutenant commander. Following the election, members of the Republican caucus looked to select a new Minority Leader. Perhaps due in part to this fact, the 94th Congress overrode the highest percentage of vetoes since Andrew Johnson was President of the United States (1865–1869). [7][11], Ford said, "My stepfather was a magnificent person and my mother equally wonderful. Gawthorpe, "The Ford Administration and Security Policy", pp. On August 1, 1974, Ford was informed that agents investigating the Watergate scandal had found the ‘smoking gun’ implicating Nixon in the affair. [23], Ford hoped to attend Yale Law School beginning in 1935. Soon after, public health officials in the Ford administration urged that every person in the United States be vaccinated. Harding’s presidency was overshadowed by the criminal activities of some of his cabinet members and other government officials, although he himself ...read more. Political commentators have referred to Ford's dramatic reorganization of his Cabinet in the fall of 1975 as the "Halloween Massacre". He and Earl Warren also interviewed Jack Ruby, Oswald's killer. "Manufacturing Voter Confidence: a Video Analysis of the American 1976 Presidential and Vice-presidential Debates". After rejecting these terms, Reagan offered the vice-presidential nomination instead to George H. W. "The Bitter End and the Lost Chance in Vietnam: Congress, the Ford Administration, and the Battle over Vietnam, 1975–76". Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States (1974–77), who, as the 40th vice president, had succeeded to the presidency on the resignation of President Richard Nixon, under the process decreed by the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Vice presidential nominee Gerald R. Ford, right, listens as President Richard Nixon speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Saturday, Oct. 13, 1973. [12] They said that Ford's pardon was granted in exchange for Nixon's resignation, which had elevated Ford to the presidency. On August 25, he underwent an angioplasty procedure at the Mayo Clinic. Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States of America, to remind all Americans that it is fitting and just to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment adopted by the Congress of the United States of America, in order to secure legal equality for all women and men, do hereby designate and proclaim August 26, 1975, as Women's Equality Day. In 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for his role in Watergate. As the scandal came to light, Vice Pr… https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/gerald-r-ford. He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. [205][206][207] Pieces of Ford's common Everyman image have also been attributed to Ford's inevitable comparison to Nixon, as well as his perceived Midwestern stodginess and self-deprecation.[204]. [213], Ford was also a member of the Shriners and the Royal Order of Jesters; both being affiliated bodies of Freemasonry. President Gerald Ford. As he left the St. Francis Hotel in downtown San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore, standing in a crowd of onlookers across the street, fired a .38-caliber revolver at him. Forty-six years ago this month, President Gerald Ford made one of the most controversial announcements in American political history: He pardoned Richard Nixon. The resignation of President Richard Nixon created an unprecedented challenge for his successor Gerald Ford. And I thought he ought to be replaced. [150], The Nixon pardon controversy eventually subsided. Gawthorpe, "The Ford Administration and Security Policy", p. 711. December 3, 1935 He legally changes his name to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Summer 1936 [182], On January 20, 1998, during an interview at his Palm Springs home, Ford said the Republican Party's nominee in the 2000 presidential election would lose if the party turned ultra conservative in their ideals: "If we get way over on the hard right of the political spectrum, we will not elect a Republican President. They had four children together: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. I have given instructions for a reassessment of United States policy in the region, including our relations with Israel, with the aim of ensuring that overall American interests ... are protected. [62] Rockefeller's top competitor had been George H. W. Bush. Did you know? This was one more than the number needed (290) for a two-thirds majority, the number necessary to override a Presidential veto or to propose a constitutional amendment. [83] In March 1975, Congress passed, and Ford signed into law, these income tax rebates as part of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975. "[144], Ford's 1976 election campaign benefitted from his being an incumbent president during several anniversary events held during the period leading up to the United States Bicentennial. Two years later his parents divorced, and his mother moved with him back to her hometown, Grand Rapids, Mich., where she met and married a businessman named Gerald R. Ford. A review in Foreign Affairs described it as, "Serene, unruffled, unpretentious, like the author. The administration proved it was willing to respond forcefully to challenges to its interests in the region on two occasions, once when Khmer Rouge forces seized an American ship in international waters and again when American military officers were killed in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.[124]. The 1975 Act appropriated $455 million toward the costs of assisting the settlement of Indochinese refugees. Watch a preview of the two-night event Presidents at War, premiering Sunday, February 17 at 8/7c. Start your free trial today. One of Ford's greatest challenges was dealing with the continuing Vietnam War. In that operation, military and Air America helicopters took evacuees to U.S. Navy ships off-shore during an approximately 24-hour period on April 29 to 30, 1975, immediately preceding the fall of Saigon. The unusual chain of events that lifted Ford to the Oval Office began in 1972 when operatives connected to President Richard Nixon’s (1913-1994) re-election campaign broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. A number of high-ranking Nixon administration officials knew about the break-in, and the president himself took part in efforts to cover up the illegal activities that became known as the Watergate scandal. Gerald Ford served as President for a little over two years, from August of 1974 to January of 1977. Gardner and King divorced in December 1913, and she gained full custody of her son. He also attracted the attention of college recruiters. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! November 8, 1966. This was not enough to give Republicans a majority in the House, but the victory gave Ford the opportunity to prevent the passage of further Great Society programs. Ford died on December 26, 2006, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 93. This is the shortest and most honest of recent presidential memoirs, but there are no surprises, no deep probings of motives or events. [22], While attending Yale Law School, Ford joined a group of students led by R. Douglas Stuart Jr., and signed a petition to enforce the 1939 Neutrality Act. On March 24, Ford informed congressional leaders of both parties of the reassessment of the administration policies in the Middle East. Jespersen, T. Christopher. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The well-liked and respected Ford was easily confirmed by Congress and took office on December 6, 1973. We ought to learn from the Democrats: when they were running ultra-liberal candidates, they didn't win. It is only fitting then that I should pledge to them and to you that I will be the President of all the people. Ford successfully invested in oil with Marvin Davis, which later provided an income for Ford's children. Within a year of leaving office (1977), Ford had earned something like $1 million. Ford's paternal grandfather Charles Henry King paid child support until shortly before his death in 1930. A large number of ground forces went to cut down the tree, while at the same time the air force was deployed, which included B-52 bomber flights over Panmunjom. Ford understood that his decision to pardon Nixon could have political consequences, and it probably cost him the presidency in 1976. He also devoted much time to his love of golf, often playing both privately and in public events with comedian Bob Hope, a longtime friend. The Third Fleet lost three destroyers and over 800 men during the typhoon. [75] The program for the Return of Vietnam Era Draft Evaders and Military Deserters[76] established a Clemency Board to review the records and make recommendations for receiving a Presidential Pardon and a change in Military discharge status. The United States Senate voted 92 to 3 to confirm Ford on November 27. Ford took the loss in stride, however, telling friends that he had planned to retire from Congress that year anyway. [33] On October 17, 1974, Ford testified before Congress on the pardon. Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska as Leslie Lynch King, Jr., being the son of Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner King. [45][46][47] In the preface to his book, A Presidential Legacy and The Warren Commission, Ford defended the work of the commission and reiterated his support of its conclusions. September 1935 Yale University hires Ford to be an assistant football and boxing coach. The following year, she remarried. On October 13, he was scheduled to attend the dedication of a building of his namesake, the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, but due to poor health and on the advice of his doctors he did not attend. Gerald Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. [173], In 1987, Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of District of Columbia Circuit Court judge and former Solicitor General Robert Bork after Bork was nominated by President Reagan to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Ford came to the presidency as the only person never to be elected vice president or president. Apr 15, 2019 - Gerald Ford (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) an American politician who served as the 38th US President from 1974 to 1977, following the resignation of Richard Nixon. "[29], After Ford returned to Grand Rapids in 1946, he became active in local Republican politics, and supporters urged him to challenge Bartel J. Jonkman, the incumbent Republican congressman. [205], The trust the American public had in him was rapidly and severely tarnished by his pardon of Nixon. Presidential Speeches | Gerald Ford Presidency August 9, 1974: Remarks on Taking the Oath of Office She took her son with her to Oak Park, Illinois, home of her sister Tannisse and brother-in-law, Clarence Haskins James. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House. Ford … Gerald Ford, being the only U.S. president to date to not be elected to either the vice-presidential or presidential office, demonstrated his executive power through the use of his vetoes, issuing 66 total (48 regular vetoes and 18 pocket), 12 of which were overturned. [217] Also in 1999, Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton. [104] The Administration entered into the Helsinki Accords[105] with the Soviet Union in 1975, creating the framework of the Helsinki Watch, an independent non-governmental organization created to monitor compliance which later evolved into Human Rights Watch. Ford recalled in his memoirs that he learned about his biological father at the age of 12 and only met the man a couple of times. Along with the experience of the Vietnam War and other issues, Watergate contributed to a decline in the faith that Americans placed in political institutions. Shortly after taking office, Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed as president. Gardner separated from King just sixteen days after her son's birth. [41], In the early 1950s, Ford declined offers to run for either the Senate or the Michigan governorship. His birth name wasn’t Gerald R. Ford. [162] Ford did appear in a campaign commercial for the Reagan-Bush ticket, in which he declared that the country would be "better served by a Reagan presidency rather than a continuation of the weak and politically expedient policies of Jimmy Carter". Some critics charged that Ford issued the pardon as part of a pre-arranged deal to reach the Oval Office. DeFrank T: Write It When I'm Gone, G. Putnam & Sons, New York, NY, 2007. On paper, no. [9] He was raised in Grand Rapids with his three half-brothers from his mother's second marriage: Thomas Gardner "Tom" Ford (1918–1995), Richard Addison "Dick" Ford (1924–2015), and James Francis "Jim" Ford (1927–2001). [200], Ford selected the song to be played during his funeral procession at the U.S. Capitol. Ford’s reputation for integrity and openness had made him popular during his 25 years in Congress. In December 1975, Suharto discussed the plans to invade East Timor during a meeting with Ford and Henry Kissinger in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. [194] By November 2006, he was confined to a bed in his study. He also struggled to work effectively with a heavily Democratic Congress. Other helicopters, having nowhere to land, were deliberately crash landed into the sea after dropping off their passengers, close to the ships, their pilots bailing out at the last moment to be picked up by rescue boats. After one month of training, he went to Navy Preflight School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he was one of 83 instructors and taught elementary navigation skills, ordnance, gunnery, first aid, and military drill. [22], Ford graduated in the top third of his class in 1941, and was admitted to the Michigan bar shortly thereafter. He started his presidency in the midst of controversy after his pardon of Richard M. Nixon following his resignation from the presidency. [184], In October 2001, Ford broke with conservative members of the Republican Party by stating that gay and lesbian couples "ought to be treated equally. Nevertheless, they felt the need to respond forcefully to discourage further provocations by other Communist countries in Asia. Reagan launched his campaign in autumn of 1975 and won numerous primaries, including North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, and California, but failed to get a majority of delegates; Reagan withdrew from the race at the Republican Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Ford conditioned his acceptance on Reagan's agreement to an unprecedented "co-presidency",[161] giving Ford the power to control key executive branch appointments (such as Kissinger as Secretary of State and Alan Greenspan as Treasury Secretary). Later in that same year, he was elected to Congress. Gerald Ford served as president of the United States from August 9, 1974 to January 20, 1977. Shabecoff, Philip. Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th United States President, was the first Vice-President to gain office who was neither elected to become Vice-President nor President. Perrone, Marguerite. In a pre-recorded embargoed interview with Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in July 2004, Ford stated that he disagreed "very strongly" with the Bush administration's choice of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction as justification for its decision to invade Iraq, calling it a "big mistake" unrelated to the national security of the United States and indicating that he would not have gone to war had he been president. He nearly lost his life when a typhoon hit his Navy aircraft carrier during World War … [199], Scouting was so important to Ford that his family asked for Scouts to participate in his funeral. "He has served his nation well," Ford said of Stevens, "with dignity, intellect and without partisan political concerns. [33] Ford agreed to the nomination, telling his wife that the Vice Presidency would be "a nice conclusion" to his career. Gerald Ford held the two highest offices without being elected to either. But more was to come. "Kissinger, Ford, and Congress: the Very Bitter End in Vietnam". In a controversial executive action, President Gerald Ford pardons his disgraced predecessor Richard M. Nixon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office. Along with three younger half-brothers, Ford, Jr., learned the value of hard work and community involvement. Some historians have argued that the Ford administration felt the need to respond forcefully to the incident because it was construed as a Soviet plot. Ford was serving as General Quarters Officer of the Deck and was ordered to go below to assess the raging fire. "[210] Ford was made a 33° Scottish Rite Mason on September 26, 1962. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. As part of the 1935 Collegiate All-Star football team, Ford played against the Chicago Bears in the Chicago College All-Star Game at Soldier Field. Capitol. During the year he was at the Preflight School, he was promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, on June 2, 1942, and to lieutenant, in March 1943. Ford expressed "strong support for full educational opportunities for our handicapped children" according to the official White House press release for the bill signing. The unusual chain of events that lifted Ford to the Oval Office began in 1972 when operatives connected to President Richard Nixon’s (1913-1994) re-election campaign broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. A number of high-ranking Nixon administration officials knew about the break-in, and the president himself took part in efforts to cover up the illegal activities that became known as the Watergate scandal. The advice was unanimous. [116], 1,373 U.S. citizens and 5,595 Vietnamese and third country nationals were evacuated from the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon during Operation Frequent Wind. Remembering them has helped me many times to face a tough situation, take action, and make every effort possible despite adverse odds." He viewed his brief tenure in the Oval Office as an unexpected bonus at the end of a long career in politics. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Proposed a pardon deal to reach the Oval office ] According to Bob Woodward, Nixon `` sought advice senior. Ford selected the song to be an assistant football and boxing coach thawing relationship brought about by 's! 'S conduct of the men Warren also interviewed Jack Ruby, Oswald 's killer in all, 130,000 Vietnamese came! 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