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“.
. . The ultimate test of leadership is not the
polls you take, but the risks you take. In the
short run, some risks prove overwhelming. Political
courage can be self-defeating. But the greatest
defeat of all would be to live without courage, for
that would hardly be living at
all.”--Remarks
by President Ford upon receiving the John F.
Kennedy Profile in Courage Award--May 21, 2001
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World
Biography
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President
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
38th
President of the United
States
(1913-2006)
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"My
family joins me in sharing the difficult news that
Gerald R. Ford, our beloved husband, father,
grandfather, and great grandfather, has passed away
at 93 years of age. His was a life filled with love
of God, his family, and his
country."--Betty
Ford's statement
of December 26, 2006
Advertise
on this website
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The
World BiographyWebsite
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Gerald
Rudolph"Jerry" Ford-
(
July 14, 1913-December 26,
2006)
Gerald
R. Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the
United States, and holds the distinction
of being the only president who was never
actually elected through a national
election or by the electoral college.
Vice-President Ford became president on
August 9, 1974 when Richard Nixon became
the only president to resign his office.
Ford had become Vice-President only ten
months earlier when Nixon appointed him to
that office upon the resignation of
Vice-President Spiro Agnew.
Ford
was born in 1913, the son of Leslie Lynch
King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner. Upon his
birth, he was named Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Two months after his birth, King and
Gardner divorced. Two years later, she
remarried, and the future president was
renamed for his stepfather, and became
Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. Growing up
in East Rapids, Michigan, it was natural
for the athletic Ford to attend the
University of Michigan, where he played
football for the Wolverines. He studied
political science and economics while at
Michigan, and later entered Yale Law
School after deciding not to sign
contracts to play professional football
for NFL teams who sought his football
skills.
During
World
War Two,
Ford served in the U.S. Navy from April,
1942 to February, 1946. In 1948, Ford was
elected to the United States House of
Representatives as a Republican. He
represented the 5th District of Michigan
from 1949 until chosen as Vice-President
in 1973. It should be noted that Ford,
like many politically-minded veterans of
World War Two, successfully won office in
the elections held in the years right
after the war. Richard Nixon and John F.
Kennedy also entered the House of
Representatives in this time
period.
Ford's
influence in Congress grew when fellow
Republicans selected him as their leader
in 1965. Since the Democrats controlled
the House by holding a majority of the
seats, the Republicans were called the
"minority party."As the leader of the
Republicans in Congress, Ford's new
position titled "House Minority
Leader."
When
Vice-President Spiro Agnew resigned due to
criminal allegations against him,
President Nixon chose Ford as the new
Vice-President. After the House and Senate
confirmed the choice, Ford became the
first unelected (by voters) Vice-President
of the U.S.
Ford's
selection as the Vice-President became
critically important when Nixon resigned
on August 9, 1974. Ford then became the
first unelected (by voters) President of
the U.S. President Ford's first important
decision was to grant Nixon a full
presidential pardon, which prevented any
legal action against the former president
for crimes he may have committed while he
was president.
President
Ford's major domestic issues involved the
economy, which was slowed by relatively
high inflation and a recession, or slowing
down of the economy.
His
foreign policy issues were significant, as
the long Vietnam
War came
to a close. With the ending of this war,
Communist forces gained control of South
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The
Communists in Cambodia called themselves
the Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodians,or Khmer).
On May 12, 1975, thirteen days after the
fall of Saigon brought the Vietnam War to
a close, Khmer Rouge forces seized an
American ship, the SS Mayaguez. Ford
decided to use military force to rescue
the ship's crew, and ordered several
hundred U.S. Marines to attack Kho Tang
Island, off the coast of Cambodia. Over 40
American Marines died 23 U.S. airmen died
in a related crash, the crew was released,
and America's long involvement in
Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia)
ended with the Mayaguez
Incident.
Ford also met with Soviet leaders in a
summit in Vladivostok, USSR in
1975.
Also
in 1975, Ford survived two assassination
attempts. On September 5, 1975, Lynette
"Squeaky" Fromme pulled the trigger of a
gun pointed at President Ford's stomach as
he greeted and shook hands in a crowd in
Sacramento, California. The bullet in the
gun jammed, and Ford was uninjured. Over
two weeks later, on September 22, 1975,
Sara Jane Moore tried to shoot Ford, but a
bystander in the crowd forced the gun away
from her. Despite successfully firing a
shot from her gun, Moore failed to injure
the President. Moore served time in
prison, winning parole on Dec. 31, 2007
(see One
of Ford’s Would-Be Assassins Is
Paroled
from the New York Times, Jan. 1, 2008).
Ford's other failed assassin, Lynette
"Squeaky" Fromme, won parole in August,
2009. (see Ford
Would-Be Assassin to Be
Paroled
from the New York Times, Aug. 5,
2009)
Ford
ran for election in 1976, gaining the
Republican nomination for President only
after a bitter and hard-fought primary
campaign against Governor Ronald Reagan.
Ford is a moderate Republican, while
Reagan was the leader of the party's
growing conservative wing. Ford lost the
1976 election to Democrat Jimmy Carter, a
former governor of Georgia.
Following
his defeat, Ford retired from formal
politics and wrote several memoirs. He
re-appeared on the scene in 1980 at the
Republican Convention, negotiating with
nominee Ronald Reagan for a possible spot
on the Republican ticket as the
Vice-Presidential nominee. In the
negotiations, Ford reportedly demanded
significant power in a possible Reagan
Administration, including authority over
foreign policy. Reagan decided that this
"co-presidency" was not in his best
interest, and instead chose George H. W.
Bush as his running mate.
At
the 2000 Republican convention, Ford again
grabbed headlines, this time by suffering
two small strokes while attending the
nominating convention of George W.
Bush.
During
his retirement, Ford enjoyed playing golf
and spending time with his wife Betty and
their children and grandchildren. Ford
served as honorary Co-Chair (with former
opponent President Jimmy Carter) of the
National Commission on Federal Election
Reform in 2001. This commission formed as
a result of the disputed Bush-Gore
election of 2000.
In
January, 2006, President Ford was
hospitalized with pneumonia. He left the
hospital after a twelve-day
stay.
President
Gerald Ford passed away on Tuesday,
December 26, 2006 at the age of 93. At the
time of his death, he was the longest
lived former president in U.S. history,
surpassing the late Ronald Reagan, who
also died at age 93.
Books
written by Gerald and Betty
Ford:
Books
about Ford:
Quotes
by President Ford (source:
http://www.ford.utexas.edu/grf/quotes.asp):
“I
am a Ford, not a
Lincoln.”--Remarks after being
sworn in as Vice President of the United
States--December 6, 1973
"I
have not sought this enormous
responsibility, but I will not shirk it .
. . I believe that truth is the glue that
holds government together, not only our
Government, but civilization itself. That
bond, though strained, is unbroken at home
and abroad. In all my public and private
acts as your President, I expect to follow
my instincts of openness and candor with
full confidence that honesty is always the
best policy in the end. My fellow
Americans, our long national nightmare is
over. Our Constitution works; our great
Republic is a Government of laws and not
of men. Here the people
rule.”--Remarks upon being sworn
in as President of the United
States--August 9, 1974
“As
we are a nation under God, so I am sworn
to uphold our laws with the help of God.
And I have sought such guidance and
searched my own conscience with special
diligence to determine the right thing for
me to do with respect to my predecessor in
this place, Richard Nixon, and his loyal
wife and family. Theirs is an American
tragedy in which we all have played a
part. It could go on and on and on, or
someone must write the end to it. I have
concluded that only I can do that, and if
I can, I must.”--Remarks upon
granting a pardon to former President
Richard Nixon--September 8,
1974
“History
will judge this Conference not by what we
say here today, but by what we do tomorrow
- not by the promises we make, but by the
promises we keep.”--Address
before the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe--August 1,
1975
“As
we continue our American
adventure…all our heroes and heroines
of war and peace send us this single,
urgent message: though prosperity is a
good thing, though compassionate charity
is a good thing, though institutional
reform is a good thing, a nation survives
only so long as the spirit of sacrifice
and self-discipline is strong within its
people. Independence has to be defended as
well as declared; freedom is always worth
fighting for; and liberty ultimately
belongs only to those willing to suffer
for it.”--Bicentennial Remarks at
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania--July 4, 1976
“To
me, the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency
were not prizes to be won, but a duty to
be done.”--Remarks upon accepting
the Republican Presidential Nomination,
Kansas City, Missouri--August 19,
1976
"Some
people equate civility with weakness and
compromise with surrender. I strongly
disagree. I come by my political
pragmatism the hard way, for my generation
paid a very heavy price in resistance to
the century we had of some extremists --
to the dictators, the utopians, the social
engineers who are forever condemning the
human race for being all too
human."--Remarks upon receiving the
Congressional Gold Medal--October 27,
1999.
“I
have always believed that most people are
mostly good, most of the time. I have
never mistaken moderation for weakness,
nor civility for surrender. As far as I'm
concerned, there are no enemies in
politics--just temporary opponents who
might vote with you on the next Roll
Call.”--Remarks upon receiving
the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage
Award--May 21, 2001
“.
. . The ultimate test of leadership is not
the polls you take, but the risks you
take. In the short run, some risks prove
overwhelming. Political courage can be
self-defeating. But the greatest defeat of
all would be to live without courage, for
that would hardly be living at
all.”--Remarks upon receiving the
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage
Award--May 21, 2001
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Predecessor
in Office:
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Gerald
R. Ford's
Offices:
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Successor
in Office:
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Preceded
by:
Bartel J.
Jonkman
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United
States Representative for the 5th
Congressional District of
Michigan
1949–1973
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Succeeded
by:
Richard F.
Vander
Veen
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Preceded
by:
Charles A.
Halleck
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House
Minority Leader
1965–1973
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Succeeded
by:
John J.
Rhodes
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Preceded
by:
Spiro
Agnew
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Vice
President of the United
States
December 6,
1973 – August 9,
1974
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Succeeded
by:
Nelson
Rockefeller
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Preceded
by:
Richard
Nixon
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President
of the United States
August 9,
1974 – January 20,
1977
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Succeeded
by:
Jimmy
Carter
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Preceded
by:
Richard
Nixon
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Republican
Party Presidential
nominee
1976
(lost)
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Succeeded
by:
Ronald
Reagan
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Copyright
© 1998-2009 Roger A. Lee and History Guy
Media; Last Modified: 08.05.09
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Lee, R. "World Biography:
President Gerald R. Ford
(1913-2006)"
http://www.worldbiography.net/ford_gerald.html
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Family,
Career, and Personal
Highlights
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Gerald
Ford
(1890-1962)--Adoptive/Stepfather
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Dorothy
Ayer Gardner
(1892-1967)
--
Mother
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Leslie
Lynch King
(1886-1941)--Biological
Father
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Elizabeth
"Betty" Bloomer Warren
(b. 1918),
Wife,wed
on October 15,
1948
Children:
Michael
Gerald
Ford
(b.
1950)--Son
John
Gardner Ford (b.
1952)--Son
Steven
Meigs Ford (b.
1956)--Son
Susan
Elizabeth
Ford
(b.
1957)--Daughter
Religion:
United
Church of
Christ
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Siblings
Half-Siblings
on his biological
father's
side:
Marjorie
B. King
(Werner)
(1921-1993)--Half-Sister
Leslie
("Bud") Henry King
(1923-1976)--Half-Brother
Half-Siblings
on his mother's
side:
Thomas
Gardner Ford
(1918-1995)--Half-Brother
Richard
Addison Ford (b.
1924)--Half-Brother
James
Francis
Ford
(1927-2001)--Half-Brother
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Education:
Class
of 1931: Grand Rapids
South High School
(Mich.)
Member
of National Honor
Society,
Varsity
Letter Club,
Glee
Club,
Student
Council,
Latin
Club
Hi-Y
(High School
YMCA).
Participated
in football,
basketball, and
track. Earned
all-city and
all-state honors
in football.
1935:
BA Economics and
Political Science,
University
of
Michigan.
Member
of: Michigamua
(senior men's
honor
society)
Sphinx
(junior men's
honor
society)
Delta
Kappa Epsilon
fraternity
Interfraternity
Council
Student
Council.
1941:
LL.B.
,Yale
University Law
School
Member
of Phi Delta Phi
legal
fraternity.
Career/Occupation:
1940-1942:
Attorney/University
instructor
--taught
a business law
course at the
University of
Grand Rapids. Ford
also coached at
the University.
(See below)
Military
Service:
1942-1946
(World War Two): United
States
Navy
--served
aboard the USS
Monterey
(CVL-26) , a
light aircraft
carrier
--served
as the assistant
navigator,
Athletic Officer,
and antiaircraft
battery
officer
While
Ford served on the
USS Monterey, the
ship:
--helped
take Makin Island
in the
Gilberts
--participated
in carrier strikes
against Kavieng,
New Ireland in
1943
--supported
landings at
Kwajalein and
Eniwetok
--participlated
in carrier strikes
in the Marianas,
Western Carolines,
and northern New
Guinea, as well as
in the Battle of
Philippine Sea
--Monterey
launched strikes
against Wake
Island
--participated
in strikes in the
Philippines and
Ryukus
--supported
the landings at
Leyte and
Mindoro.
Ford's
Service Medals and
Citations:
--the
Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal
with nine
engagement stars
--the
Philippine
Liberation with
two bronze stars
for Leyte and
Mindoro
--the
American Campaign
and World War II
Victory
Medals.
1946-1963:
Naval
Reserves
Political
Career:
1940:
Worked in Wendell
Willkie's (R)
presidential
campaign
--joined
a group of
reform-minded
Republicans in
Grand Rapids,
called the "Home
Front."
1949-1973:
United States House
of Representatives
(R)
1965-1973:
House Minority
Leader
1973-1974:
Vice-President of the
United States
(R).
1974-1977:
President of the
United States
(R)
Clubs
and Organizations
(membership):
--American
Legion
--Veterans
of Foreign
Wars
--AMVETS
--33rd
Degree Mason
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Athletic
Career:
Playing
Career:
Grand
Rapids South High School
(Mich.):
Participated
in
football, basketball,
and track. Earned
all-city and all-state
honors in football.
1932-1935:
Played center and
linebacker
University
of Michigan Football
Team
1932
& 1933: Played on
Michigan's National
Championship
teams
1934:
Voted in as the
Wolverine's Most
Valuable Player
(MVP)
1935:
Played in the Chicago
Tribune College
All-Star football
game (Now known as
the East-West Shrine
Game)
1935:
Offered professional
football contracts by
the Detroit Lions and
the Green Bay
Packers. Ford turned
them down to coach at
Yale.
Coaching
Career:
1935-1940:
Boxing coach and
assistant varsity
football coach at
Yale
1940-1941:
Line coach for the
University of Grand
Rapids football
team
1942-1945:
Various coaching and
athletic director
positions in the U.S.
Navy
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Gerald
R. Ford's Speeches &
Documents
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Ford's
Speech Upon Taking the
Presidential Oath of
Office (August 9, 1974)
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Ford's
Speech Upon Granting A
Pardon to Richard Nixon
(September 8,
1974)
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Ford's
Speech Announcing a
Program for the Return
of Vietnam Era Draft
Evaders and Military
Deserters
(September
16, 1974)
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Ford's
1975 State of the Union
Address (January 15,
1975)
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Ford's
State of the Union
Address
(January
19, 1976)
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Ford's
State of the Union
Address
(January
12, 1977)
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Ford-Carter
Presidential Campaign
Debate (domestic
policy), (September 23,
1976)
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Ford-Carter
Presidential Campaign
Debate (foreign policy),
(October 6, 1976)
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Ford-Carter
Presidential Campaign
Debate (October 22,
1976)
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The
Ford Administration: The
Cabinet, Aides, &
Advisors
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The
Cabinet--The
President's Cabinet is
made up of the appointed
leaders, or
"Secretaries" of each of
the Executive
Departments.
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The
National Security
Council
--Advises the President
on national security and
foreign
policy.
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Links
and Resources on Gerald
Ford
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