Gerald Ford

President of the United States

Leslie Lynch King Jr. July 14, 1913 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

December 26, 2006(2006-12-26) (93) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.

August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977

38th president of the United States (1974–77) This article is about the 38th president of the United States. For other uses, see Gerald Ford (disambiguation). Gerald FordOfficial portrait, 197438th President of the United StatesIn office August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977Vice President None (Aug–Dec 1974) Nelson Rockefeller (1974–1977)Preceded by Richard NixonSucceeded by Jimmy Carter40th Vice President of the United StatesIn office December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974PresidentRichard NixonPreceded by Spiro AgnewSucceeded by Nelson RockefellerHouse Minority LeaderIn office January 3, 1965 – December 6, 1973Preceded by Charles A. HalleckSucceeded by John Jacob RhodesMember of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 5th districtIn office January 3, 1949 – December 6, 1973Preceded by Bartel J. JonkmanSucceeded by Richard Vander Veen Personal detailsBornLeslie Lynch King Jr. (1913-07-14 ) July 14, 1913 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.DiedDecember 26, 2006(2006-12-26) (aged 93) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.Resting placeGerald R. Ford Presidential MuseumPolitical partyRepublicanSpouse(s)Betty Bloomer ​(m. 1948 )​Children Michael Jack Steven Susan Parents Leslie Lynch King Sr. Dorothy Ayer Gardner Ford Education University of Michigan (BA) Yale University (JD) OccupationPoliticianlawyerSignatureMilitary serviceAllegiance  United StatesBranch/service  United States NavyYears of service1942–1946Rank Lieutenant commanderBattles/warsWorld War IIAwards American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (9 campaign stars) World War II Victory College football careerNo. 48PositionCenterClass1935MajorEconomicsCareer historyCollege Michigan (1932–1934) High schoolGrand Rapids SouthCareer highlights and awards 2× National champion (1932, 1933) Meyer Morton Award (1932) Michigan MVP (1934) Michigan Wolverines No. 48 retired Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (/ˈ dʒ ɛr əl d / ; 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. The leader of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, he later served as the 40th vice president of the United States from 1973 to 1974. When President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, Ford succeeded to the presidency, but he was defeated for election to a full term in 1976. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ford attended the University of Michigan and Yale Law School. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving from 1942 to 1946; he left as a lieutenant commander. Ford began his political career in 1949 as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 5th congressional district. He served in this capacity for 25 years, the final nine of them as the House minority leader. In December 1973, two months after the resignation of Spiro Agnew, Ford became the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment. After the subsequent resignation of President Nixon in August 1974, Ford immediately assumed the presidency. To date, this was the last intra-term U.S. presidential succession. As president, Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, which marked a move toward détente in the Cold War. With the collapse of South Vietnam nine months into his presidency, US involvement in the Vietnam War essentially ended. Domestically, Ford presided over the worst economy in the four decades since the Great Depression, with growing inflation and a recession during his tenure. In one of his most controversial acts, he granted a presidential pardon to Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal. During Ford's presidency, foreign policy was characterized in procedural terms by the increased role Congress began to play, and by the corresponding curb on the powers of the president. In the Republican presidential primary campaign of 1976, Ford defeated former California Governor Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination. He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. Surveys of historians and political scientists have ranked Ford as a below-average president. Following his years as president, Ford remained active in the Republican Party. His moderate views on various social issues increasingly put him at odds with conservative members of the party in the 1990s and early 2000s. In retirement, Ford set aside the enmity he had felt towards Carter following the 1976 election, and the two former presidents developed a close friendship. After experiencing a series of health problems, he died at home on December 26, 2006.