Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (born July 14, 1913) (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., renamed after his mother's remarriage) was the fortieth (1973–1974) Vice President and the thirty-eighth (1974–1977) President of the United States. He remains the only individual to serve as President without ever having been elected to either the presidency or vice presidency. Instead, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew in 1973, he was nominated as Vice President by Richard Nixon and approved by both houses of Congress (not just the Senate, as is the procedure for Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, and most other federal officials), in keeping with provisions of the 25th Amendment. When Nixon resigned on noon of August 9, 1974, Ford assumed the presidency.

Presidency

When Nixon then resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal on August 9, 1974, Ford assumed the presidency, proclaiming that "our long national nightmare is over". On August 20 Ford nominated former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller to fill the Vice Presidency he had vacated, again under the 25th Amendment.

Related Topics:
Watergate scandal - August 9 - 1974 - Nightmare - August 20 - New York - Governor - Nelson Rockefeller - 25th Amendment

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Pardons Nixon

On September 8, 1974 Ford gave Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he may have committed while President or, indeed, for anything else he might have done. Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interests of the country; many historians believe it cost him the election in 1976.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 1974 - Pardon - 1976

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Economy

The economy was a great concern during the Ford administration. In response to rising inflation, Ford went before the American public on television in October 1974 and asked them to "whip inflation now" (WIN); as part of this program, he urged people to wear "WIN" buttons. However, most people recognized this as simply a public relations gimmick without offering any effective means of solving the underlying problem. At the time inflation was around 7%, a relatively modest number in retrospect, but still enough to discourage investment and push capital overseas and into government bonds.

Related Topics:
Economy - Inflation - 1974 - Whip inflation now - Investment - Capital - Government bonds

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The economic focus began to change as the country sank into a mild recession, and in March 1975, Ford and Congress signed into law income tax rebates to help boost the economy.

Related Topics:
Recession - March - 1975 - Income tax - Rebates

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Aftermath of Watergate

In the aftermath of Watergate, the Democrats scored major gains in both the House and the Senate in the 1974 elections. Ford and Congress battled over legislation, with Ford vetoing scores of Democratic bills.

Related Topics:
Democrats - 1974

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Foreign policy

Ford also faced a foreign policy crisis with the Mayaguez Incident. In May 1975, shortly after the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia, Cambodians seized an American merchant ship, the Mayaguez, in international waters. Ford dispatched Marines to rescue the crew, but the Marines landed on the wrong island and met unexpectedly stiff resistance just as, unknown to the US, the Mayaguez sailors were being released. In all phases of the operation, fifty service men were wounded and forty-one killed, including three men believed to have been left behind alive and subsequently executed and twenty-three Air Force personnel killed earlier while en route to the staging area at Utapao, Thailand. It is believed that approximately sixty Khmer Rouge soldiers were killed out of a land and sea force of about 300.

Related Topics:
Mayaguez Incident - May - 1975 - Khmer Rouge - Cambodia - Marines - Staging area - Utapao - Thailand

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Ford's presidency also saw the final withdrawal of American personnel from Vietnam, in 'Operation Frequent Wind'. On 29 April and the morning of 30 April 1975 the American embassy in Saigon was evacuated, amidst chaotic scenes. http://www.learnersonline.com/weekly/archive2K/week16/

Related Topics:
Vietnam - Operation Frequent Wind - 29 April - 30 April - 1975 - Saigon

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Assassination attempts

While in Sacramento, California on September 5, 1975, a follower of incarcerated cult leader Charles Manson named Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme pointed a Colt .45-caliber handgun at Ford's stomach as he was shaking hands with well-wishers. No shots were fired, though, and nobody was injured. Seventeen days later, another woman – Sara Jane Moore – also tried to kill Ford in San Francisco; but her shooting attempt was thwarted by a bystander, Oliver Sipple.

Related Topics:
Sacramento, California - September 5 - 1975 - Cult leader - Charles Manson - Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - Handgun - Stomach - Sara Jane Moore - San Francisco - Oliver Sipple

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Cabinet

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Supreme Court appointments

Ford appointed the following Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States:

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• John Paul Stevens: 1975

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