Gerald R. Ford, Jr., is Born
July 14, 1913
Gerald R. Ford is born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., to Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King, Sr., in Omaha, Nebraska.
Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., the son of Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner King, on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Review a selection of published biographies and memoirs concerning President Ford's career, especially his presidency.
Gerald R. Ford is born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., to Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King, Sr., in Omaha, Nebraska.
Dorothy King moves to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her newborn son, fleeing her abusive husband. They live with Dorothy's parents, Levi Gardner and Adele Augusta Gardner, at 1960 Terrace Avenue (street name changed to Prospect in 1920).
The divorce between Dorothy and Leslie Lynch King, Sr., is finalized in an Omaha, Nebraska, court.
Dorothy King marries Gerald R. Ford, a Grand Rapids paint salesman. Due to her divorced status, she was denied a church ceremony, thus Dorothy and Gerald exchanged vows at the house on Terrace Avenue. The Fords began calling her son Gerald R. Ford, Jr., although his name was not legally changed until December 3, 1935.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr., begins kindergarten at Madison Elementary School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also briefly attends East Grand Rapids Elementary.
Gerald Ford's half-brother, Richard ("Dick") Ford, is born.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr., pledges service to the Boy Scouts of America, Grand Rapids Troop 15.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr., achieves the rank of Eagle Scout.
Gerald Ford's half-brother, James "Jim" Ford, is born
Gerald R. Ford, Jr., begins high school at South High in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was the first captain of the South High football team to earn a spot in the National Honor Society.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr., graduates from South High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In the fall of 1931, Ford moves to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to start college at the University of Michigan where he excelled in both academics and extracurriculars. A member of the University's football team, he also joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity in the Fall of 1931.
Played annually since 1925, this college football all-star game helped raise money to support Shriner International’s charitable activities, including Shriners Hospital for Children. Ford’s performance resulted in an offer to play for the Green Bay Packers, which was also matched by the Detroit Lions.
Worked for the Yale University athletic department where he took on numerous roles: assistant line coach and junior varsity coach for football, and coach of the boxing team.
In the summer of 1936, Gerald Ford worked as a seasonal park ranger at Yellowstone National Park's Canyon Station, a cluster of tourist facilities overlooking the scenic Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
Ford begins taking classes at Yale Law School. In June 1940 he was part of a group of Yale Law students who formed America First, a national campus-based movement that supported American isolationism.
Gerald Ford and his then-girlfriend, Phyllis Brown, model for a photograph spread in Look Magazine.
Ford graduates from Yale Law School in 1941 in the top third of his class. After passing their Michigan bar exams, Gerald Ford and his classmate, Phil Buchen, establish their own firm in Grand Rapids called "Ford and Buchen." This firm existed for less than a year due to the start of the Second World War. Ford also became active in local politics. He specifically opposed the corrupt Frank McKay, who controlled most of the Republican politics in Michigan.
Ford volunteers for the Navy (V-5 Pre-flight Training Program) shortly after the United States entered World War II. Ford spent a month at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, then a year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill flight school before his assignment aboard the USS Monterey in the Pacific Theater.
Aboard the USS Monterey, Gerald Ford took on the roles of athletic director and the officer in charge of gunnery Division Six.
Rejoins his former colleague Phil Buchen at the prominent Butterfield, Kenney & Amberg law firm after returning to Grand Rapids. He also becomes active in Grand Rapids charities and civic affairs. He was the chairman of Red Cross disaster preparedness and held leadership in 13 civic organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Humane Society. He was also a member of the NAACP, the Kent County Farm Bureau, and volunteered his time to the Legal Aid Bureau.
Ford is honorably discharged from the Navy with 8 battle stars and a rank of lieutenant commander. He remained with the inactive Naval Reserve until 1963. For his naval service, he earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine engagement stars for operations in the Gilbert Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Marshall Islands, Asiatic and Pacific carrier raids, Hollandia, Marianas, Western Carolines, Western New Guinea, and the Leyte Operation. He also received the Philippine Liberation medal with two bronze stars for Leyte and Mindoro, as well as the American Campaign and World War II Victory Medals.
Gerald R. Ford announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S House of Representatives, Fifth Congressional District of Michigan.
Ford wins the congressional race's Republican Primary by 62% of the vote.
Gerald R. Ford and Betty Bloomer Warren are married at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, MI.
Ford wins 60.5% of the vote in Grand Rapids and is elected to his first term as a Congressman.
Ford is sworn into office as part of the 81st Congress. His initial assignment is a junior member of the Committee on Public Works, which reviewed legislation on federal construction projects from 1949 to 1950. During his first year of Congress, Ford also helped organize the “Chowder and Marching Club” which was a social club made up of young Republican Congressmen including fellow House member Richard Nixon.
Ford wins his second term as Congressman in the Fifth District.
Ford is appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, where he serves for over a decade.
Ford joined eighteen other Republican congress-men in a public appeal to Eisenhower in Paris, they wrote a letter urging Eisenhower to enter the Presidential race.
Ford wins his third term as a Congressman from Grand Rapids with 66% of the vote.
Ford is assigned to the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense Spending. As a committee member, Ford observed numerous experimental missile tests, including those for the early NIKE program.
In August of 1953, Ford visits army installations in Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. He witnesses the exchange of POWs from both sides of the Korean conflict.
Ford continues his role as Congressman by winning a fourth term. He had been urged to run against Republican Senator Homer Ferguson but declined.
In early 1956, Ford is appointed to the Intelligence Subcommittee of the full House Appropriations Committee, a group entrusted with oversight of the Central Intelligence Agency. He would serve in the subcommittee for nine years.
Ford is elected to his 5th term as Congressman.
Ford serves on the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration, chaired by Senator Lyndon Johnson. In 1958, Ford helped draft the original Space Act that established NASA.
Ford is elected for his 6th term as a Congressman.
As one of 25 football players in the past 25 years who had contributed the most to their fellow citizens over that quarter century, "Sports Illustrated" magazine presents Ford with a "Silver Anniversary All-American Award."
On the last day of the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Ford delivers the nominating speech for Henry Cabot Lodge as Richard Nixon's running mate.
Ford is elected to his 7th term in Congress.
Ford attends a conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Brussels, Belgium. The organization brings together legislators from around the world. While in Europe Ford and other members of the U.S. delegation also cross the closed border to tour East Berlin during the 1961 Berlin Crisis.
Ford's stepfather, Gerald Ford, Sr., passes away.
Ford is elected to his 8th term in Congress.
President Johnson formed the "Warren Group" about a week after President Kennedy is assasinated in order to investigate his death. Johnson personally asked Ford to serve in the group, which consisted of five Republicans and two Democrats.
The final draft of the Warren Commission report is given to President Johnson on September 24, 1964, and presented to the public three days later. Ford and the other members of the Warren Commission conclude that President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, and that Oswald acted alone. They also state that Jack Ruby acted alone when he killed Oswald two days later.
Using testimony of the Warren Commission, Gerald Ford and Jack Stiles publish this Lee Harvey Oswald biography.
Ford becomes House of Representatives Minority Leader over Charles Halleck by a vote of 73-67.
The Republican Minority Leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives - Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois and Congressman Gerald Ford of Michigan - deliver the Republican response to President Lyndon Johnson's State of the Union.
Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford writes to thank Ford for his role in passing the legislation that allowed the National Football League and the American Football League to merge in 1966. Congressional approval was required for the merger because of antitrust laws.
Ford wins his 10th term as Congressman, winning 68% of the vote.
Dorothy Gardner Ford passes away.
Ford constantly supported clean air legislation throughout his career in Congress. He introduced two air pollution-related bills later on in his career.
Ford wins his 11th term as Congressman.
In the first year of Earth Day's observation, Ford participated in festivities held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He spoke at the at the Society to Overcome Pollution (S.T.O.P.) ecology program at the Civic Auditorium where he outlined environmental legislation and urged all Americans to do their part in reducing or eliminating pollution.
Rep. Martha Griffiths, known for resurrecting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), said later that Mr. ·Ford, "supplied some real moxie, too: He lined up l5 or 16 names right at the end."
In 1970 Ford and 16 other members of Michigan’s delegation in the House of Representatives co-sponsored HR 18776 to establish Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Ford is elected to his 12th term in Congress.
Five men are arrested while attempting to bug the Democratic National Committee offices inside the Watergate complex in Washington D.C.
Following President Nixon's recent trip to China, Ford and Congressman Hale Boggs of Louisiana travel to China to meet with Premier Zhou Enlai.
Ford chairs the Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, where President Nixon and Vice President Agnew are re-nominated.
Ford is elected to his thirteenth and final term in Congress.
Richard Nixon is sworn-in for a second term. Ford serves on the Joint House-Senate Committee that helped plan President Nixon’s second inauguration.
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns after the U.S. Justice Department uncovered widespread evidence of his political corruption.
President Richard Nixon nominates Congressman Gerald R. Ford for Vice President.
Senate hearings for Ford's nomination as Vice President begin.
House hearings begin after Senate hearings concluded on November 14.
The Senate approves Ford’s nomination by a vote of 92-3.
The House approves Ford’s nomination by a vote of 387-35. During a joint session of Congress, Ford is sworn-in as the fortieth Vice President of the United States.
The House Judiciary Committee begins formal impeachment hearings against President Nixon.
In a nationally televised speech, Richard Nixon announces that he will resign the presidency at noon the following day.
Gerald R. Ford is sworn-in as the 38th President of the United States at noon in the East Room of the White House. In first address to the nation as President, Ford proclaims "our long national nightmare is over."
President Ford addresses Congress for the first time stating that he wants his relationship with Congress to be a "good marriage rather than a honeymoon."
President Ford outlines his veterans policy. During his speech, President Ford states he will treat Vietnam "draft dodgers" not with "amnesty" or "revenge" opening the door for clemency.
Having been put into office without a Vice President, President Ford nominates moderate Republican and Governor of New York Nelson Rockefeller to be the 41st Vice President of the United States.
President Ford answers a multitude of questions from the press ranging from inflation and economic questions to questions surrounding the Watergate scandal. He is also asked if he is considering pardoning former President Richard Nixon.
President Ford gives a "free," "full," and "absolute" pardon to former President Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed during office. Ford states the pardon reflected his personal beliefs and responsibilities as President. Richard Nixon accepts the pardon. To learn more about the Nixon Pardon, click here.
President Ford lays out his vision to stop the growth of inflation, called "Whip Inflation Now (WIN)." His plan called for farmers to produce more food, America to produce more energy domestically, and for a 5% increase in taxes for corporations and wealthy Americans.
Following the Watergate scandal, the Republicans lose the 1974 midterm elections. The party ends up losing 48 seats in the House of Representatives and 5 seats in the Senate. These new Democratic legislators are often called "Watergate Babies," as they were elected in response to the Watergate scandal.
President Ford becomes the first sitting United States President to visit Japan.
President Ford travels to Vladivostok to go over preliminary missile control agreements with Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. Control agreements signed under President Nixon were set to expire in 1977, and President Ford wants to get a head start on the negotiations of new treaties. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is also present on the trip.
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali meets with President Ford at the White House two months after he defeated George Foreman in “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
President Ford travels to the island of Martinique. The majority of the visit takes place in the area around the capital city Fort-de-France. The Presidents discussed economic policy, energy cooperation, their meetings with Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, and developments in Europe. They also took a break at the Leyritz Plantation Hotel. They toured the grounds there and went swimming with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and French Foreign Minister Jean Sauvagnargues.
Nelson Rockefeller officially becomes the 41st Vice President of the United States.
President Ford is realisitic in his first State of the Union, stating "the State of the Union is not well" and going on to describe the economic problems facing the nation, such as inflation. However, President Ford is confident that he can work with Congress to overcome the problems the nation faces.
President Gerald R. Ford receives the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America. Robert W. Reneker, National President of the BSA, presented the medal when the President addressed 2,000 youth delegates to the 1975 National Explorer President’s Congress on the South Grounds of the White House. According to the BSA, “the Silver Buffalo Award for Distinguished Service to Youth is awarded to those persons who give noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth. This award is Scouting’s highest commendation of the invaluable contributions that outstanding Americans make to youth. The service must be national in scope and can be independent of, or directly through, the Boy Scouts of America.”
President Ford addresses the nation stating his intent to pull American forces from Cambodia. President Ford assures the nation that the troops and Cambodians who helped with the American cause will be safe
The Khmer Rouge is able to take control of Phnom Penh, and Cambodia's government falls to communism.
President Ford visits with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to discuss their upcoming trip to Helsinki, Finland. Ford talks with Federal troops of the German army at a picnic and participates in a ceremonial toast with the Chancellor by the Rhine River.
Ford announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He vows to run his campaign in an upstanding manner. Eventually, the Governor of California Ronald Reagan enters the race also seeking the Republican nomination.
In remarks given in Warsaw, Poland, President Ford mentions that Poland is a vital ally in "political detente," and his hope that both nations will continue to facilitate relationships between their citizens and governments.
President Ford travels to Helsinki, Finland, to participate in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). During this meeting the Helsinki Accords are officially signed after two years of negotiations (dating back to 1973). The Accords lay out issues relating to national sovereignty in Europe along with security. Not without controversy, some argued that the Accords gave legitimacy to the Soviet Union's holdings in Eastern Europe. Importantly, the Accords forced the Soviet Union to respect human rights in their respective countries, and many credit this agreement as a step in easing Cold War tensions.
While walking to the California State Legislature in Sacramento, California, a woman by the name of Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (a Charles Manson follower) pulls out a colt pistol and attempts to fire at the President. The gun backfires and the Secret Service is able to tackle her to the ground.
While in San Francisco, California, President Ford experiences a second assassination attempt in less than a month. Sara Jane Moore attempts to shoot President Ford but narrowly misses. Trying to aim the gun at President Ford a second time, a bystander named Oliver Sipple (a former Marine) tackles Moore, saving President Ford's life.
President Ford nominates Judge John Paul Stevens of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court, after Justice William O Douglas vacated his seat on the court. Stevens becomes the longest living Supreme Court Justice ever, passing away in 2019 at the age of 99.
President Ford travels to Jakarta, Indonesia, and meets with President Suharto.
In the year of the Bicentennial, President Ford evokes the American Revolution of 1776 in his State of the Union address. President Ford admits the economy is slowly starting to get better, but inflation is still a major concern. Energy prices are a concern, but the domestic supply of energy must increase. President Ford also mentions the issue of violent crime in America, vowing to increase the number of federal agents carrying guns in American cities, and increasing the number of federal prosecutors (in hopes of putting more criminals behind bars). Abroad, President Ford stresses the need for a strong national defense to protect American freedom and values on the world stage.
President Ford becomes the first President to nationally recognize the full month of February as Black History Month. The month celebrates the important contributions that Black Americans have on the country despite the fact that they were marginalized since the founding of the country.
President Ford wins a very close primary in New Hampshire against California Governor Ronald Reagan. President Ford ends up getting 49.3 % of the vote to Governor Reagan's 47.9%. This marks the start to a very contentious Republican primary.
After a Swine Flu (H1N1) breakout at Fort Dix in New Jersey, President Ford releases a plan to spend $235 million to inoculate the entire US population against the Swine Flu to prevent further breakouts.
President Ford picks up a big win in Wisconsin. He attributes his victory to the popularity of his foreign policy, led by leaders such as Henry Kissinger.
President Ford becomes the first President since Harry Truman to campaign by train as he crosses southern Michigan prior to the state's primary.
President Ford gives his approval to Operation Fluid Drive, which evacuates 110 Americans from Beirut, Lebanon, to Greece. Rising tensions over the Lebanese Civil War prompt this action.
President Ford celebrates the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, by visiting Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and New York Harbor. In his speech at Independence Hall, President Ford recounts the American struggle from revolution to the present, and reminds Americans to believe in the spirit of America.
President Ford gives the oath of citizenship to over 100 new citizens at Monticello (the home of former President Thomas Jefferson). In his remarks, President Ford stresses the importance of immigrants on the heritage of the United States and the role they have played in shaping the country.
President Ford addresses the nation in his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination for the 1976 election. He evokes the spirit of 1776, and tells Americans that while the past three years have been difficult, there is much to be positive about. In this speech, President Ford mentions the upward trend of the economy and the improved quality of life experienced by American families. Read the Remarks Upon Accepting the Republican Presidential Nomination.
This debate marks the first in a series of three debates between President Ford and his Democratic opponent Governor Jimmy Carter. The debate is held in San Francisco, California, at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater. Questions asked ranged from national defense spending, foreign policy in the Middle East, the Soviet Union, inflation, and American confidence in the leadership and direction of the country. Read a transcript of the debate.
Second presidential candidate debate, on foreign policy and defense issues, in San Francisco. During the debate Ford comments that, “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.” This misstatement is fodder for the press and public for the next several days. Read a transcript of the debate.
Third and final presidential candidate debate in Williamsburg, Virginia. Read a transcript of the debate.
Ford concedes the Presidential election to Jimmy Carter of Georgia. Ford loses the Electoral College 297-240 and receives 39,147,793 votes (48% of the votes cast) to Carter’s 40,830,763 (50.1% of the votes cast). Read a transcript of Remarks of the Presidential Election Results.
Ford sends a letter to the Archivist of the United States and the President of the University of Michigan offering to deposit his papers in a Presidential Library to be built on the University of Michigan campus.
President Ford uses this address to say a final farewell to the people of the United States.
Ford brought several of his administation officials to work with him at the AEI, including Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork. Ford would found the AEI World Forum in 1982 (along with British Prime Minister James Callaghan, French President Valery Giscard D'Estaing, and German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt) and he would host it until 1985. The AEI World Forum brought together scholars, government officials, and senior business executives in order to exchange ideas and dialogues on topics such as international trade, social policy, and politics.
Jimmy Carter is sworn in as the 39th President of the United States. Following this transition, Ford joins the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He brings several of his administration officials to work with him at the AEI, including Antonin Scalia and Robert Bork. Ford would found the AEI World Forum in 1982 (along with British Prime Minister James Callaghan, French President Valery Giscard D'Estaing, and German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt) and he would host it until 1985. The AEI World Forum brought together scholars, government officials, and senior business executives in order to exchange ideas and dialogues on topics such as international trade, social policy, and politics.
Gerald R. Ford officially announces that he will not be a candidate for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination.
Ford travels to Tokyo to take part in a seminar on the twentieth anniversary of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. He also meets with Prime Minister of Japan Zenko Suzuki for international discussions.
The Ford Library is currently the only National Archives presidential library that is physically separate from its presidential museum, although both sites share a common director.
The city of Grand Rapids organizes a week-long "Celebration on the Grand" in the run-up to the dedication ceremony on September 18, 1981. Many national and international figures came to Grand Rapids for the dedication event. President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush both speak at the ceremony, as does former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Japanese Foreign Minister Sunao Sonoda, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo. Lady Bird Johnson is also present for the occasion.
Three former U.S. presidents -- Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter fly to Egypt as part of the official American delegation attending the funeral of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford co-host an All-Democracies Conference at the Gerald R. Ford Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Dynasty producer Esther Shapiro talked the Fords into greeting two of Dynasty's central characters, Blake and Krystle Carrington (John Forsythe and Linda Evans). "Blake, it's wonderful to see you," was the former president's line. He played himself. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger also had a cameo.
President Ford invites scholars, journalists, and public figures from across America to join him in reviewing the presidential primary system. Held at the Ford library in Ann Arbor, the experts debate topics such as media coverage, campaign spending, and the role of parties.
Ford joins former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and former Prime Ministers James Callaghan of Britain and Malcolm Fraser of Australia in issuing a statement supporting President Reagan and his refusal to bend to demands of terrorists holding American hostages in Beirut.
President Ford, numerous past staff members and press secretaries, authors, comedians, and reporters begin a lighthearted two-day meeting at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to discuss the impact of humor in the White House.
In the book "Humor and the Presidency," President Ford examines the importance of comedy in American presidencies, including his own. The publication is inspired by a 1986 symposium held at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
Ford speaks at the 1988 Republican National Convention in defense of George H.W. Bush, who had been criticized by the Democratic Party for not doing enough during significant moments of crisis.
During the conference, "Gerald R. Ford: Restoring the Presidency," many events and issues that President Ford faced are explored by members of the Ford Administration and presidential historians. On Friday, April 7, 1989, President Gerald Ford addresses the attendees with, "Reflections: Looking Back at the Ford Presidency." He also takes part in a colloquium for high school students. Other participants at the conference include Donald H. Rumsfeld, White House Chief of Staff and Member of the President's Cabinet, 1974-1975 and Secretary of Defense, 1975-1977; Hugh Sidey, Time Magazine; Stephen H. Ambrose, Historian; Bob Woodward, The Washington Post; and Tom Brokaw, NBC News. The banquet speaker is Richard B. Cheney, and panel topics include "Assuming the Presidency," "Reforming the CIA," "Humor and the Presidency," "President, Congress and Public Opinion," "Dealing With the Soviet Union," "The Fall of South Vietnam, " The Nixon Pardon," " The 1976 Election," and "The New York City Fiscal Crisis."
President Ford signs a letter formally endorsing a bill requiring a seven-day waiting period for the purchase of handguns. Former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon also support the "Brady Bill," named after the former White House Press Secretary James S. Brady, who was permanently disabled during the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.
President Ford attends the White House ceremony promoting the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
President Ford speaks in support of his former vice presidential running mate and Republican candidate for President Bob Dole.
Ford publishes a New York Times op-ed piece in response to the potential impeachment of President Bill Clinton, titled "The Path Back to Dignity." Echoing his sentiment regarding his pardon of Nixon, Ford argues against the impeachment of Clinton and proposes a bipartisan solution.
Many of the events and issues that President Ford faced were explored at the conference by members of the Ford Administration and presidential historians. There was also an address by President Gerald Ford, "Reflections: Looking Back at the Ford Presidency," on Friday, April 7. He also took part in a colloquium for high school students. other participants at the conference included Donald H. Rumsfeld, White House Chief of Staff and Member of the President's Cabinet, 1974-1975 and Secretary of Defense, 1975-1977; Hugh Sidey, Time Magazine; Stephen H. Ambrose, Historian; Bob Woodward, The Washington Post; and Tom Brokaw, NBC News. The banquet speaker was Richard B. Cheney, White House Chief of Staff 1975-1977 and Secretary of Defense. Panel topics included "Assuming the Presidency," "Reforming the CIA," "Humor and the Presidency," "President, Congress and Public Opinion," "Dealing With the Soviet Union," "The Fall of South Vietnam, " The Nixon Pardon," " The 1976 Election," and "The New York City Fiscal Crisis."
The staircase comes from the top of the building that served as the American Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, from the 1960s to 1975. American personnel and Vietnamese allies ascended this staircase to the roof of the embassy during the hectic and turbulent evacuation in the spring of 1975.
In August 1999, the New York Times publishes a letter from the former president, which voices his support for affirmative action and the University of Michigan's position.
President Bill Clinton presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to President Ford. The medal is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the President of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
President Ford gives a speech at the renaming ceremony for the University of Michigan's school of Public Policy in his honor.
Senator Edward Kennedy presents President Ford with the honor and remarks: “At a time of national turmoil, America was fortunate that it was Gerald Ford who took the helm of the storm-tossed ship of state. Unlike many of us at the time, President Ford recognized that the nation had to move forward, and could not do so if there was a continuing effort to prosecute former President Nixon. So President Ford made a courageous decision, one that historians now say cost him his office, and he pardoned Richard Nixon. I was one of those who spoke out against his action then. But time has a way of clarifying past events, and now we see that President Ford was right. His courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to begin the process of healing and put the tragedy of Watergate behind us. He eminently deserves this award, and we are proud of his achievement.”
In an interview with columnist Deb Price, Ford states that gay and lesbian people should be treated equally under the law. He becomes the highest-ranking Republican to support full equality for gay people, declaring his support for a constitutional amendment prohibiting anti-gay work discrimination and expressing his hope that the Republican Party would reach out to gay and lesbian voters.
President Bush and the First Lady celebrate Gerald Ford's 90th birthday with a party at the White House.
Ford attends the groundbreaking for the new Joan and Sanford Weill building that will house the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
President Ford and the four living former Presidents (Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton) are named honorary members of the World Trade Center rebuilding board by New York Republican Governor George Pataki.
Senator John Warner of Virginia amends a defense-spending bill to declare that CVN-78 is renamed the "USS Gerald R. Ford." The bill is signed by President George W. Bush.
President Ford passes away in his home in California, and the nation enters a period of mourning. At the time of his death, he was the longest living US President. He was also the last surviving member of the Warren Commission. Funeral services are held at St. Margaret’s Church in Palm Desert, California, before ceremonies in Washington, DC, take place.
President Ford is the 11th US President to lie in state in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. Before arriving at the Capitol, the funeral procession stops at Ford's former home in Alexandria, Virginia, and the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. The doors are open to the public after a short service, with around 57,000 people coming through the Rotunda to pay their respects.
Funeral services for President Ford are held at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Among those who speak at the funeral are Presidents George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as Ford's former Chief of Staff, Vice President Dick Cheney and former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
A funeral service for President Ford takes place at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. After landing at the Gerald R. Ford Airport, the University of Michigan Marching Band plays the school's fight song for him one final time, for his last ride from the airport to the church. Eulogies are given by President Jimmy Carter, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Historian Richard Norton Smith. He is interred on the grounds of his Presidential Museum.
The Library has compiled a list of President Ford's most notable quotes.