Gerald Ford

President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 (1913–2006)

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Lived 1913–2006, aged 93United States

United States PoliticiansPolitician

Wikipedia
147 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1913–2006
Aged 93
Awards
15
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-08-17

The only president never elected to the office or the vice presidency — he inherited both jobs through resignation, then pardoned the man whose downfall put him there.

Biography

About

Born Leslie Lynch King Jr. in Omaha in 1913, he was renamed after his stepfather and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He played football at the University of Michigan, went to Yale Law School, and served in the Naval Reserve during World War II. Elected to the House in 1948, he spent nearly 25 years there, the last nine as minority leader, and sat on the Warren Commission investigating Kennedy's assassination. In December 1973, after Spiro Agnew resigned, Ford became the first vice president appointed under the 25th Amendment. Eight months later Nixon quit and Ford became president. He grant…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

said1994

Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.

— As quoted in Time and Chance (1994) by James Cannon, p. 411.

Gerald Ford

said12 Aug 1974

I know well the coequal role of the Congress in our constitutional process. I love the House of Representatives.

— Address to a joint session of Congress (August 12, 1974); in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Gerald R. Ford, 1974,

Gerald Ford

said28 Jan 1974

It's the quality of the ordinary, the straight, the square, that accounts for the great stability and success of our nation. It's a quality to be proud of.

— As quoted by Time magazine (28 January 1974)

Gerald Ford

said26 Jan 1974

We must proceed with our own energy development.

— Speech as Vice President to the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, West Palm Beach, Florida (26 January 1974); entered into the

Gerald Ford

said15 Nov 1973

I believe in friendly compromise. I said over in the Senate hearings that truth is the glue that holds government together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go.

— During hearings before the US House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, on his nomination to be Vice-President (15 November 1973)

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