Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was adopted by his mother’s second husband, Gerald Ford, and his name was legally changed to Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. in 1935.
Early Life and Career
Ford attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a B.A. in economics and political science in 1935. He then attended Yale Law School, earning his L.L.B. in 1941. During World War II, Ford served in the US Navy from 1942 to 1946 and later in the US Naval Reserves from 1946 to 1963.
Ford was a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and adoption. He was also a supporter of traditional families and was married to Betty (Bloomer) Ford from 1948 until his death in 2006. They had four children together: Susan Elizabeth, Steven Meigs, John ‘Jack’ Gardner, and Michael Gerald.
Political Career
Ford was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1948 and served until 1973. He was the chairman of the House Republican Conference from 1963 to 1964 and served on the Warren Commission to investigate President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In 1965, he became the House Minority Leader, a position he held until 1973.
In 1973, Ford was named vice president under Richard Nixon after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. He was sworn in as the 40th vice president of the United States on December 6, 1973. After Nixon’s resignation in 1974, Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States.
Presidency
During his presidency, Ford granted a full pardon to Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office. He also announced conditional amnesty for Vietnam War draft evaders and deserters. Ford’s presidency was marked by significant events, including the retaking of the American ship Mayaguez from Cambodia and the attempted assassinations by Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme and Sara Jane Moore.
Ford lost the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter and declined an offer to be Reagan’s vice presidential nominee in 1980. He established the American Enterprise Institute’s World Forum in 1982 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1999.
Ford passed away on December 26, 2006, at the age of 93. His funeral ceremonies included a private, family ceremony in California, periods of repose outside the US House and US Senate chamber doors, a state funeral and public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda, a memorial service at the National Cathedral, and a public viewing and interment at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
