Gerald FordWhen Gerald R.
Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, hedeclared, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances. . . .
This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts. “It was indeed an unprecedented time. He had been the first Vice President chosenunder the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment and, in the aftermath of theWatergate scandal, was succeeding the first President ever to resign. Ford wasconfronted with almost insuperable tasks. There were the challenges of masteringinflation, reviving a depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, andtrying to ensure world peace. The President acted to curb the trend towardGovernment intervention and spending as a means of solving the problems ofAmerican society and the economy.
In the long run, he believed, this shift wouldbring a better life for all Americans. Ford’s reputation for integrity andopenness had made him popular during his 25 years in Congress. From 1965 to1973, he was House Minority Leader. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1913, he grew upin Grand Rapids, Michigan. He starred on the University of Michigan footballteam, then went to Yale, where he served as assistant coach while earning hislaw degree. During World War II he attained the rank of lieutenant commander inthe Navy.
After the war he returned to Grand Rapids, where he began the practiceof law, and entered Republican politics. A few weeks before his election toCongress in 1948, he married Elizabeth Bloomer. They have four children:Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. As President, Ford tried to calm earliercontroversies by granting former President Nixon a full pardon. His nominee forVice President, former Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, was the secondperson to fill that office by appointment. Gradually, Ford selected a cabinet ofhis own.
Ford established his policies during his first year in office, despiteopposition from a heavily Democratic Congress. His first goal was to curbinflation. Then, when recession became the Nation’s most serious domesticproblem, he shifted to measures aimed at stimulating the economy. But, stillfearing inflation, Ford vetoed a number of non-military appropriations billsthat would have further increased the already heavy budgetary deficit. Duringhis first 14 months as President he vetoed 39 measures.
His vetoes were usuallysustained. Ford continued as he had in his Congressional days to view himself as”a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and adyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs. ” A major goal was tohelp business operate more freely by reducing taxes upon it and easing thecontrols exercised by regulatory agencies. “We. .
. declared our independence200 years ago, and we are not about to lose it now to paper shufflers andcomputers,” he said. In foreign affairs Ford acted vigorously to maintainU. S. power and prestige after the collapse of Cambodia and South Viet Nam. Preventing a new war in the Middle East remained a major objective; by providingaid to both Israel and Egypt, the Ford Administration helped persuade the twocountries to accept an interim truce agreement.
Detente with the Soviet Unioncontinued. President Ford and Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev set newlimitations upon nuclear weapons. President Ford won the Republican nominationfor the Presidency in 1976, but lost the election to his Democratic opponent,former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia.
On Inauguration Day, President Carterbegan his speech: “For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank mypredecessor for all he has done to heal our land. ” A grateful peopleconcurred. When Gerald R. Ford tookthe oath of office on August 9, 1974, he declared, “I assume the Presidencyunder extraordinary circumstances. . .
. This is an hour of history that troublesour minds and hurts our hearts. ” It was indeed an unprecedented time. Hehad been the first Vice President chosen under the terms of the Twenty-fifthAmendment and, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, was succeeding thefirst President ever to resign. Ford was confronted with almost insuperabletasks. There were the challenges of mastering inflation, reviving a depressedeconomy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace.
ThePresident acted to curb the trend toward Government intervention and spending asa means of solving the problems of American society and the economy. In the longrun, he believed, this shift would bring a better life for all Americans. Ford’sreputation for integrity and openness had made him popular during his 25 yearsin Congress. From 1965 to 1973, he was House Minority Leader. Born in Omaha,Nebraska, in 1913, he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He starred on theUniversity of Michigan football team, then went to Yale, where he served asassistant coach while earning his law degree.
During World War II he attainedthe rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy. After the war he returned to GrandRapids, where he began the practice of law, and entered Republican politics. Afew weeks before his election to Congress in 1948, he married Elizabeth Bloomer. They have four children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan.
As President, Fordtried to calm earlier controversies by granting former President Nixon a fullpardon. His nominee for Vice President, former Governor Nelson Rockefeller ofNew York, was the second person to fill that office by appointment. Gradually,Ford selected a cabinet of his own. Ford established his policies during hisfirst year in office, despite opposition from a heavily Democratic Congress. Hisfirst goal was to curb inflation.
Then, when recession became the Nation’s mostserious domestic problem, he shifted to measures aimed at stimulating theeconomy. But, still fearing inflation, Ford vetoed a number of non-militaryappropriations bills that would have further increased the already heavybudgetary deficit. During his first 14 months as President he vetoed 39measures. His vetoes were usually sustained. Ford continued as he had in hisCongressional days to view himself as “a moderate in domestic affairs, aconservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist inforeign affairs.
” A major goal was to help business operate more freely byreducing taxes upon it and easing the controls exercised by regulatory agencies. “We. . .
declared our independence 200 years ago, and we are not about to loseit now to paper shufflers and computers,” he said. In foreign affairs Fordacted vigorously to maintain U. S. power and prestige after the collapse ofCambodia and South Viet Nam. Preventing a new war in the Middle East remained amajor objective; by providing aid to both Israel and Egypt, the FordAdministration helped persuade the two countries to accept an interim truceagreement.
Detente with the Soviet Union continued. President Ford and Sovietleader Leonid I. Brezhnev set new limitations upon nuclear weapons. PresidentFord won the Republican nomination for the Presidency in 1976, but lost theelection to his Democratic opponent, former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. OnInauguration Day, President Carter began his speech: “For myself and forour Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal ourland.”
