this US president was called the
congressman’s congressman welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re taking a
look at the life and accomplishments of
Gerald Ford
I have not campaigned either for the
presidency or the vice presidency
I have not subscribed to any partisan
platform I am indebted to no man and
only to one woman Leslie Lynch King jr.
was born July 14 1913 in Omaha Nebraska
shortly after his birth his parents
divorced and eventually he took his
stepfathers name to become Gerald
Rudolph Ford jr. the young Ford excelled
in sports and Boy Scouts his skills
allowed him to play varsity football at
the University of Michigan while
studying economics and political science
with aspirations to attend Yale Law
School the all-star athlete and
undergraduate student paid his college
costs by washing dishes and waiting
tables
this humble and determined approach to
achieving his goals characterized Ford
throughout his career after graduating
in 1935 Ford entered law school there he
took interest in politics and signed a
petition to prevent US involvement in
the Second World War he was a proud
nationalist and supported isolationist
policies he felt would ensure the
security and safety of Americans things
changed after the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor in 1941 Ford left his law
practice in Grand Rapids to enlist in
the Navy where he participated in air
strikes throughout the Asian Pacific
after almost dying in a vicious typhoon
in 1944 he resigned with honors two
years later but this involvement in the
war later led him to favor
internationalist policies the late 40s
saw the former pilot enter politics
right before his successful election to
Congress in 1948 he married former
dancer and model
Elizabeth bloomer Warren with whom he
eventually had four children as a
Republican politician Ford’s uprightness
hard work and reputation for dealing
well with both parties got
reelected 12 times and earned him the
admiration of his fellow congressman
while in Congress he helped secure funds
to renovate the White House in addition
to serving on the Warren Commission to
explore the circumstances of president
john f kennedy’s assassination and the
commission found no evidence of a
conspiracy foreign or domestic fort
finally had the opportunity to enter
federal politics in 1964 when Democrat
Lyndon Johnson won the presidency and
left the Republicans in need of a house
Minority Leader Ford was the first
choice for the job
and once sworn in he limited the reach
of Johnson’s Great Society programs and
laid out a clear plan for American
success in the Vietnam War opportunity
knocked again in 1973 when vice
president Spiro Agnew stepped down amid
the Watergate scandal and Ford became
his replacement one year later
incriminating evidence against President
Richard Nixon surfaced and he too
resigned I shall resign the presidency
effective at noon tomorrow Vice
President Ford will be sworn in as
president at that hour in this office
without being voted in Ford became the
38th President of the United States on
August 9th 1974 as we bind up the
internal wounds of Watergate more
painful and more poisonous than those of
Foreign Wars let us restore the golden
rule to our political process and let
brotherly love purge our hearts of
suspicion and of hate the Nixon
administration left him with numerous
problems a depressed economy the fallout
from Watergate an energy crisis and a
war abroad that was spiraling out of
control i fellow American we have a lot
of work to do one of his first moves as
president was to issue a controversial
pardon to Nixon despite heavy
condemnation from politicians and the
public with Nelson Rockefeller as his VP
Ford attacked domestic policy
he managed inflation and unemployment by
cutting taxes and spending
and by deregulating certain industries
he and his wife Betty were also vocal
about subjects like women’s equality
addiction and even cancer and this also
colored his presidency abroad Ford
helped end the Vietnam War though he was
criticized for falling short in terms of
aid in South Vietnam
he was also condemned for backing the
Helsinki Accords between Western nations
and the Communists and for his policy
regarding the Panama Canal and later the
Indonesian occupation of East Timor this
disapproval may have led to two
assassination attempts within a
three-week period in September 1975 even
with his life threatened Ford ran for
president the next year though he was
ultimately defeated by Democrat Jimmy
Carter Ford was thanked for restoring
honor to the White House I want to thank
my predecessor for all he has done to
heal our land
Ford stayed active in business and
politics even expressing support for the
equal rights of gays and lesbians in the
new millennium unfortunately his health
deteriorated and the 93 year old died on
December 26th 2006 though many of his
decisions were challenged Gerald Ford
proved he was the right man for the job
when he took office thanks to his
personal integrity and honesty he is
ensured a place in history
congressman’s congressman welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re taking a
look at the life and accomplishments of
Gerald Ford
I have not campaigned either for the
presidency or the vice presidency
I have not subscribed to any partisan
platform I am indebted to no man and
only to one woman Leslie Lynch King jr.
was born July 14 1913 in Omaha Nebraska
shortly after his birth his parents
divorced and eventually he took his
stepfathers name to become Gerald
Rudolph Ford jr. the young Ford excelled
in sports and Boy Scouts his skills
allowed him to play varsity football at
the University of Michigan while
studying economics and political science
with aspirations to attend Yale Law
School the all-star athlete and
undergraduate student paid his college
costs by washing dishes and waiting
tables
this humble and determined approach to
achieving his goals characterized Ford
throughout his career after graduating
in 1935 Ford entered law school there he
took interest in politics and signed a
petition to prevent US involvement in
the Second World War he was a proud
nationalist and supported isolationist
policies he felt would ensure the
security and safety of Americans things
changed after the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor in 1941 Ford left his law
practice in Grand Rapids to enlist in
the Navy where he participated in air
strikes throughout the Asian Pacific
after almost dying in a vicious typhoon
in 1944 he resigned with honors two
years later but this involvement in the
war later led him to favor
internationalist policies the late 40s
saw the former pilot enter politics
right before his successful election to
Congress in 1948 he married former
dancer and model
Elizabeth bloomer Warren with whom he
eventually had four children as a
Republican politician Ford’s uprightness
hard work and reputation for dealing
well with both parties got
reelected 12 times and earned him the
admiration of his fellow congressman
while in Congress he helped secure funds
to renovate the White House in addition
to serving on the Warren Commission to
explore the circumstances of president
john f kennedy’s assassination and the
commission found no evidence of a
conspiracy foreign or domestic fort
finally had the opportunity to enter
federal politics in 1964 when Democrat
Lyndon Johnson won the presidency and
left the Republicans in need of a house
Minority Leader Ford was the first
choice for the job
and once sworn in he limited the reach
of Johnson’s Great Society programs and
laid out a clear plan for American
success in the Vietnam War opportunity
knocked again in 1973 when vice
president Spiro Agnew stepped down amid
the Watergate scandal and Ford became
his replacement one year later
incriminating evidence against President
Richard Nixon surfaced and he too
resigned I shall resign the presidency
effective at noon tomorrow Vice
President Ford will be sworn in as
president at that hour in this office
without being voted in Ford became the
38th President of the United States on
August 9th 1974 as we bind up the
internal wounds of Watergate more
painful and more poisonous than those of
Foreign Wars let us restore the golden
rule to our political process and let
brotherly love purge our hearts of
suspicion and of hate the Nixon
administration left him with numerous
problems a depressed economy the fallout
from Watergate an energy crisis and a
war abroad that was spiraling out of
control i fellow American we have a lot
of work to do one of his first moves as
president was to issue a controversial
pardon to Nixon despite heavy
condemnation from politicians and the
public with Nelson Rockefeller as his VP
Ford attacked domestic policy
he managed inflation and unemployment by
cutting taxes and spending
and by deregulating certain industries
he and his wife Betty were also vocal
about subjects like women’s equality
addiction and even cancer and this also
colored his presidency abroad Ford
helped end the Vietnam War though he was
criticized for falling short in terms of
aid in South Vietnam
he was also condemned for backing the
Helsinki Accords between Western nations
and the Communists and for his policy
regarding the Panama Canal and later the
Indonesian occupation of East Timor this
disapproval may have led to two
assassination attempts within a
three-week period in September 1975 even
with his life threatened Ford ran for
president the next year though he was
ultimately defeated by Democrat Jimmy
Carter Ford was thanked for restoring
honor to the White House I want to thank
my predecessor for all he has done to
heal our land
Ford stayed active in business and
politics even expressing support for the
equal rights of gays and lesbians in the
new millennium unfortunately his health
deteriorated and the 93 year old died on
December 26th 2006 though many of his
decisions were challenged Gerald Ford
proved he was the right man for the job
when he took office thanks to his
personal integrity and honesty he is
ensured a place in history
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