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Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (/ ˈ dʒ ɛr əl d / JERR-əld; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977.
Learn about the life and presidency of Gerald R. Ford, the nation’s only unelected president and vice president. Explore his achievements, challenges, and legacy in foreign and domestic affairs, from pardoning Nixon to hosting Queen Elizabeth II.
- Early Years and Congressional Career
- An Unexpected Presidency
- The Nixon Pardon
- Post-White House Years
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Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14, 1913. His name at birth was Leslie Lynch King Jr., after his biological father. His mother, Dorothy, divorced King when her son was a baby and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. She then married Gerald R. Ford, a successful paint salesman who adopted her young son. Ford recalled in his ...
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, ...
Shortly after taking office, Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed as president. The presidential pardon meant that Nixon would never have to face criminal charges over his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Ford’s decision generated a swirl of controversy. Millions of Americans wanted to see the disgraced former president bro...
Ford understood that his decision to pardon Nixon could have political consequences, and it probably cost him the presidency in 1976. That year, he lost a close election to Democrat Jimmy Carter(1924-). Ford took the loss in stride, however, telling friends that he had planned to retire from Congress that year anyway. He viewed his brief tenure in ...
Learn about Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States who took office after Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. Find out about his early life, his pardon of Nixon, his foreign policy and his post-White House years.
Ford was the first vice president chosen under the Twenty-fifth Amendment. In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, he succeeded the first president to ever resign from the presidency. Ford was born Leslie King Jr. in Omaha, Nebraska on July 14, 1913, to a businessman and his wife Dorothy.
Apr 27, 2024 · 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. He was the only U.S. chief executive who had not been elected president or vice president.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974 as our 38th President, he declared, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances…This is an hour of history that ...
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GERALD R. FORD, 38th President of the United States, was born in Omaha, Nebraska, July 14, 1913. He attended public schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan; received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1935; and an LL.B. from Yale University Law School in 1941.
