The 38th President of The United States, Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford: When Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he said, "I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances .... This is an hour of history that concerns our minds and hurts our hearts." It was indeed an unprecedented time. He was the first Vice President chosen under the terms of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment and under the consequences of the Watergate scandal, he had replaced the first President to resignation in history. Ford was confronted with almost insurmountable task. They were the challenges of mastering inflation, restore depressed economy, solving chronic energy shortages, and trying to ensure world peace. The President acted to try to contain the trend towards intervention and expenditure incurred by the government as the means to solve the problems of American society and the economy. In the long run, he believed that this change would bring a better life for all Americans. Ford's reputation for integrity and openness had become popular during his 25 years in Congress. From 1965 to 1973, he was minority leader in the House. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1913, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He remained in the football team of the University of Michigan, then went to Yale, where he served as assistant entranador while earning his law degree.

During World War II, he earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. After the war he returned to Grand Rapids, where he began law practice and joined in Republican politics. A few weeks before his election to Congress in 1948, he married Elizabeth Bloomer. They have four children: Michael, John, Steven and Susan. As President, Ford tried to calm prior to grant a full pardon to former President Nixon disputes. Its candidate for Vice President, former Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, was the second person to fill that position by pointing. Gradually, Ford selected a cabinet itself. Ford established his policies during his first year in office, despite opposition from a heavily Democratic Congress. His first goal was to contain inflation. Then, when the recession became the most serious domestic problem of the nation, he shifted to measures to stimulate the economy. But, still fearing inflation, Ford vetoed a number of bills nonmilitary appropriations that would have increased the already heavy budget deficit. During his first 14 months as president he vetoed 39 measures. His vetoes were usually sustained.

Ford was still looking like he was in his days of Congress, "moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and an internationalist tailored in foreign affairs." An important goal was to help businesses operate more freely by reducing taxes on them and facilitating the controls exercised by regulatory agencies. "We ... declare our independence 200 years ago, and we are not willing to lose now by paperwork and computers," he said. In foreign affairs Ford acted vigorously to maintain the power and prestige of the United States after the collapse of Cambodia and South Vietnam. Prevent a new war in the Middle East remained a major objective; by providing aid to Israel and Egypt, the Ford Administration helped persuade the two countries to accept an interim truce agreement. The issue with the Soviet Union continued. President Ford and Soviet leader Leonid I. the Brezhnev determined new limitations on nuclear weapons. President Ford won the Republican nomination for president in 1976 but lost the election against his Democratic opponent, Jimmy Carter, Former Governor of Georgia. The first day of office, President Carter began his speech: "For me and for our nation, I wish to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." A grateful people attended.