Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford became President of the United States on August 9, 1974, under extraordinary circumstances. Owing to the Watergate scandal, Ford's predecessor, Richard Nixon, had resigned under the threat of congressional impeachment. Ford assumed leadership of a nation whose domestic economy and international prestige—both seemingly sound in the decades after World War II—had deteriorated considerably. Just as important, Watergate, as well as the debacle of the Vietnam War, had profoundly shaken the American public's confidence in its leaders. Gerald Ford stepped into the breach opened up by these converging dynamics and achieved mixed results in addressing the twin problems of economic and geopolitical decline.

We are bound together by the most powerful of all ties, our fervent love for freedom and independence, which knows no homeland but the human heart. Remarks in Helsinki
Remarks in Helsinki

Legacy

Following the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, and declared, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances . . . This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.”

Upon taking office, Ford felt challenged to restore national confidence by demonstrating that he was a decent, honest man. In the first days of his presidency it appeared that many did come to trust the new president. Ford’s approval rating soared, until he pardoned President Nixon. As a result many suspected that Ford must have been involved in the Nixon conspiracy. However, Ford strongly believed the alternative––a long trial––would have been devastating for the country and that the pardon was the best way to end the national crisis. In later years Ford asserted that he had been “absolutely convinced that it was the right thing to do.”

Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford

Legacy

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