1935 Gerald Ford graduated from the University of Michigan.

1941 Ford graduated from the Yale Law School.

1948 Gerald Ford was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

1973 President Nixon appoints Ford as his Vice President.

1974 Nixon resigns as President and Gerald Ford becomes President.

1974 Ford pardons Nixon.

1980 Ford declines to serve as Reagan's vice president.

Gerald Rudolph Ford
1974 - 1977
38th President

Gerald was born in Omaha, Nebraska on July 14, 1913.

Gerald R. Ford Jr. was the only President born in Nebraska. He was also the only President that was a resident of Michigan.

He was named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. at birth. When his divorced mother remarried, he was adopted by his stepfather and named Gerald R. Ford after him. He was known as "Jerry." President Ford didn't know he was adopted until he was 12 years old.

He married Elizabeth (Betty) Anne Bloomer on October 15, 1948

Gerald Ford was the first President whose parents were divorced.

Ford was the first President to have been an Eagle Scout.

Gerald R. Ford once worked as a fashion model. Ford was a model for Cosmopolitan and Look magazines in the 1940's.

He is right-handed, but he writes with his left hand.

Ford was the only President who was employed by the National Park Service. He worked as a park ranger in Yellowstone in 1936.

He won his first election to the House of Representatives by getting 60% of the vote. That was his smallest margin of victory in his career as a Representative.

Ford was one of the members of the Warren Commission appointed to study the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was the last living member of the Commission.

Gerald Ford was Vice President to Richard Nixon. The vote to confirm his vice president was 92-3 in the Senate and 387-35 in the house.

Gerald R. Ford, 1974
Library of Congress

Gerald Ford became President with the resignation of Richard Nixon. He was one of 9 vice presidents to become president. He was the only vice president who didn't become president do to a president's death.

Gerald R. Ford was the only president not elected by the people. Therefore, he is the only President to not run for the Presidency or Vice Presidency and become President. As one book states he was the first un-elected President. He was the Speaker of the House and replace Vice President Agnew when he resigned and then replace Richard Nixon when he resigned.

He was the center on the University of Michigan Football Team. He also played linebacker. Ford was the MVP of the Michigan team. He was MVP on a team with a record of 1 and 7. He then played on two national champion Michigan teams, but not as a starter.

Gerald Ford also loved golf, but spectators had to watch carefully because the President was know for conking people on the head with his wild shots. However, he did have a hole-in-one to his credit.
He was an Episcopalian.

Ford was in the military during WWII and served a gunnery on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

He served in the House of Representatives for 25 years. When he was in congress, he kept a Polaroid camera on a tripod so hometown visitors could have their picture take with him.

In 1975, two attempts were made to assassinate President Ford. One on September 5 by Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme. She was a follower of Charles Manson. The second was on September 22, by Sara Jane Moore. President Ford was not hurt in either attempt.

Shortly after becoming president he gave a full pardon to Richard Nixon (Sept. 8,1974). Some people say that this lead to his defeat to Jimmy Carter in the next presidential election (1976).

Gerald Ford's Vice President was Nelson Rockefeller (1974-1977).

Gerald Ford had Golden Retriever named Liberty.

The 1976 Presidential election was the only election he ever lost.

President Ford was in office for 895 days. Only two Vice Presidents served less day. (Lyndon Johnson - 425 and Calvin Coolidge -580) It was the 5th shortest term served by any president.

Gerald R. Ford owns a home for skiing in Beaver Creek, CO.

The Fords became millionaires after he left office. He published several books, spoke at corporate functions and had a NBC contract.

Ford was passed Ronald Reagan on November 12, 2007 as the oldest person ever to be president Ford became 93 years and 121 days old. (Oldest living and deceased Presidents.)

President Ford died on December 26, 2006. He was 93 years old. Reagan was also 93 when he died.

He lied repose in California, then Washington DC and will be buried next to the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, MI.

Quotes:

"Our long national nightmare is over." Gerald Ford

References:

• The Presidents of the United States. 22 September 2004
• Davis, Gibbs and Ilus. David A. Johnson. Wackiest White House Pets. New York: Scholastic Press, October 2004
• James, Barber and Amy Pastan. Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladies. New York: DK Publishing, 2002
• Harnsberger, Caroline Thomas. Treasury of Presidential Quotations. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1964
• Kane, Joseph Natan. Facts about the Presidents from Washington to Johnson. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1964.
• National Park Service Web Site on Presidential Trivia: http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/pres/trivia.htm.

Additional Sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents
http://www.historyplace.com/specials/portraits/presidents/index.html
www.freep.com
http://www.umkc.edu/imc/prestriv.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/4062/trivia.html
http://www.freep.com/news/inaug/trivia/index.htm
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/

If you have comments or corrections, please send them to jim@anewadventure.org.