Gerald Rudolph Ford 1913-2006 (with photos)

Born: July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska









1933



WWII- 1944



Gerald and Betty's wedding
October 15, 1958



He was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Ford was the first president to be an Eagle Scout.
Ford was on the University of Michigan football team from 1931 to 1934. He was offered tryouts by both the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
Both Ford and his wife, Betty, had been models before their marriage.
When Ford proposed to to his wife, he was wearing one brown & one black shoe.
Running for Congress in 1948, Ford campaigned on his wedding day.
Ford was one of the members of the Warren Commission appointed to study the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
One night, Ford was locked out of the White House while walking his golden retriever, Liberty. The Secret Service finally let him in.
Ford's daughter Susan held her senior prom at the White House.
He was the first president to release to the public a full report of his medical checkup.
Ford was the first president to visit Japan.
Ford was the only president whose two assassination attempts against him were made by women.
Gerald Ford was the first president not elected by the people to become president. He became vice president when Nixon's elected vice president, Spiro T. Agnew, resigned. Then became president when Nixon resigned.
Ford was the first president to pardon a former president.



Gerald & Betty with children Susan, Jack, Michael and Steven.


House Minority Leader Gerald Ford- 1967


Napping- 1972




1976


1976

April 12, 1976


Former Presidents





Dates in the Life of Gerald Ford
By The Associated Press 12.27.06, 12:16 AM ET


July 14, 1913: Leslie Lynch King Jr. born, Omaha, Neb. After his parents divorce and his mother remarries, he is adopted by his stepfather and takes his name: Gerald R. Ford

1935: graduates from University of Michigan, where he had been a star football player.

1941: graduates from Yale University law school.

1942-46: in U.S. Naval Reserve, including service aboard aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

Oct. 15, 1948: marries Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer Warren. They have four children: Michael Gerald, born 1950; John Gardner, born 1952; Steven Meigs, born 1956; and Susan Elizabeth, born 1957.

Nov. 2, 1948: elected to U.S. House of Representatives after defeating incumbent in Republican primary. In Congress for nearly 25 years, including stint as House minority leader.

1963-64: serves on Warren Commission that investigated assassination of President Kennedy.

Dec. 6, 1973: confirmed as vice president after resignation of Spiro Agnew.

Aug. 9, 1974: becomes president after resignation of Richard Nixon.

Sept. 8, 1974: gives Nixon an unconditional pardon.

Oct. 17, 1974: goes before a congressional committed to discuss pardon; first sitting president to testify under oath in such circumstances.

Nov. 23-24, 1974: summit in Vladivostok, U.S.S.R., with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev. They reach tentative agreement to limit the number of nuclear weapons.

April 30, 1975: Saigon falls, ending the Vietnam War.

May 12, 1975: The White House announces the new Cambodian government had seized an American merchant ship, the Mayaguez, in international waters. Two days later, U.S. forces raid a Cambodian island and recapture. All crew members are released safely by Cambodia, but some 40 U.S. servicemen are killed.

July 30-Aug. 2, 1975: Ford among leaders of 35 nations meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on European security. Ford, Brezhnev report progress on strategic arms issues.

Sept. 5, 1975: Charles Manson follower Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme arrested after aiming a semiautomatic pistol at Ford in Sacramento, Calif.

Sept. 22, 1975: Activist Sara Jane Moore arrested after firing a gun at Ford in San Francisco. In both attempts, Ford was unhurt.

July 4, 1976: Ford is president as nation pauses to mark its Bicentennial.

Nov. 2, 1976: defeated by Jimmy Carter in quest for a full term as president.

Jan. 20, 1977: Leaves office; Carter is inaugurated.

April 1978: Ford and his children stage "intervention" to persuade his wife, Betty, to seek treatment for abuse of medication, alcohol. The successful treatment leads to founding of Betty Ford Center.

Oct. 27, 1999: Ford and his wife presented with Congressional Gold Medals.

August 2000: Suffers small stroke while attending the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.

May 21, 2001: Wins John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for pardoning Richard Nixon.

Sept. 14, 2001: Former presidents Ford, Carter, Bush and Clinton attend prayer service at National Cathedral in Washington after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Rev. Billy Graham is among the speakers.

June 11, 2004: Joins President Bush and former Presidents Carter, Bush and Clinton at the funeral in Washington of former President Reagan.

Nov. 12, 2004: Attends groundbreaking ceremony at the University of Michigan for the new home of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

January 2006: Spends 12 days in a California hospital for treatment of pneumonia.

August 2006: Undergoes treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, receiving a cardiac pacemaker and angioplasty.







(ok... notice that GB is giving Babs bunny ears..lol)

spelling incorrect.

Try Rudolph.

lol

The one of him washing the dishes is particularly interesting.

Can't picture GW Bush loading a dishwasher?

Last night during all the initial coverage
the historian on MSNBC said that the day Nixon was leaving
Ford got up and made breakfast for himself and his son- and then cleaned it up- before
going out to the lawn to say goodbye.


There were always stories about the Clintons and the Carters being in the kitchen
at the White House puttering around (the kitchen in the residence, not the big one... lol)

I seriously doubt Bushie goes into the kitchen

one correction: the date under the marriage pic should be 1948

:argh: :rofl:

Last night CNN said that they were married in 1948. Now CNN has been known to be wrong, but the ages of Ford's kids and the style of dress tell me that they were married in 1948, not 1958.

I typed it wrong last night

I can be a stickler about weird things sometimes. :P

I am so mad that I can't go back and fix that!