by Jake Steffen
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr, born Leslie Lynch King Jr., was born on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up, President Ford struggled with an abusive father who assaulted his mother, causing them to divorce early in his life. She then married a man by the name of Gerald Rudolf Ford, who never legally adopted President Ford. Still, Ford took his stepfather’s name. Growing up, Ford was involved in the Boy Scouts of America and remains the only President to have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor. In his college years, Ford attended the University of Michigan, where he played Center and linebacker for the Wolverines. He was the star player during both of their National Championship seasons in 1932 and 1933. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, Ford enlisted in the Navy. During his service, Ford was commissioned on the ship the Monterey, where he fought the Empire of Japan in the Philippines. Following his duty, Ford returned to the United States with the goal of being a politician. He believed the military changed his view on the world, later stating that he “came back a converted Internationalist.”
In 1948, Ford became a member of the House of Representatives where he held the seat of Michigan’s 5^th^ congressional district for 25 years. Ford described his political views as “a moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs, and a conservative in fiscal policy.” In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Ford to the Warren Commission, a special task force set up to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He was in charge of interviewing and preparing a biography of the accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, as well as Jack Ruby. Following his role on the Warren Commission, President Ford served as the House Minority leader from 1965-1973. In 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew, resigned due to tax evasion that had been discovered in his time as governor of Maryland. This vacancy led to President Richard Nixon, nominating Ford as his Vice President. Following his nomination, President Nixon was then placed under investigation for The Watergate Scandal and was soon after impeached in the same year. The Watergate Scandal occurred on June 17, 1972, where the Nixon re-election committee hired five men to break into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office Building in Washington, D.C and steal campaign information. At the time of the evidence being released, Ford was in Suburban Virginia with his wife preparing to move into his vice president residence in D.C, when he stated “Al Haigh asked to come over and see me, to tell me that there would be a new tape released on Monday, he said the evidence in there was devastating and there would probably be either an impeachment or resignation.” He then told his wife “Betty, I don’t think we’re ever going to live in the vice president’s house.” This statement proved true as Nixon resigned on August 9th of 1974, leaving Ford in charge. During his inauguration, President Ford stated, “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your president with your prayers.” Ford would begin his presidency with an extremely controversial move by pardoning Richard Nixon of all charges he might have committed against the United States, a month after taking office. President Ford’s tenure as President would be remembered for the worst economy since the Great Depression, as well as the never-ending Vietnam war.