DemocratVice President · Michigan
Gerald Ford"Jerry"
1973 first electedLeft office 19741 years servedBorn 1913 in Omaha, NebraskaDied 2006
Biography
Gerald Rudolph Ford (1913–2006) was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He holds the unique distinction of being the only person to serve as both Vice President and President without being elected to either office — he was appointed VP by Richard Nixon in 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned, then became president when Nixon himself resigned over Watergate in 1974. Before that, he spent over two decades as a U.S. Representative from Michigan, including serving as House Minority Leader. As president, his most controversial early act was granting a full pardon to Nixon, which likely cost him politically. He also worked to restore public trust in government after Watergate and navigated the end of the Vietnam War, including the fall of Saigon.
Additional Info
Spouse
Betty Bloomer (m. 1948)
Prior Offices
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 5th district,
Fun Fact
Before politics, Ford was a standout football player at the University of Michigan, helping the team win national championships in 1932 and 1933. He was talented enough that he received offers to play in the NFL (from the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions) but turned them down to attend Yale Law School instead.
Election History
No election records found in the database yet.