38

President Gerald Ford
38th President of the United States

Gerald Ford

1974-1977

Vice President:  Nelson A. Rockefeller (1974-77)
Born:  July 14, 1934, in Omaha, NE
Died:   December 26, 2006, n Rancho Mirage, California

Career/Occupation:  Lawyer, Public Official
Religion:  Episcopalian
Education:  Graduated from the University of Michigan (1935) and Yale University Law School (1941)
Political Party: Republican
Nickname(s): "Jerry"
Secret Service Codename: Passkey - or - Pass Key



Other Government Positions:

•  Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1949-73
•  Vice President, 1973-74 (under Nixon)

Presidential Salary: $200,000/year + $50,000 expense account



Presidential Firsts:

• The first president born in Nebraska.
• The first president from Michigan.
• The first president to ascend to the presidency by the resignation of his predecessor.
• The first president to ascend to the presidency without being elected to either the offices of the president or vice president.

  He was the first president to have been appointed as vice president. (He was appointed vice president in 1973 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Spiro Agnew. He succeeded President Richard Nixon in 1974, following the resignation of Nixon).

• The first president to succeed to the office under the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which codified the previously established precedent of the vice president succeeding to the presidency.
• The first president to be an Eagle Scout
• The first president to receive the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
• The first president to visit Japan and Finland while in office.
• The first president to pardon another president (Richard Nixon).

  The pardon of Richard Nixon in 1974, gave Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he might have committed against the United States while president.

• The first president to release a full report of his medical checkup to the public.
• The first president to serve as House minority leader, having served in that office from 1965–1973.
• The first president to serve as Republican conference chairman of the United States House of Representatives.
• The first president to be under consideration for the vice presidency after leaving office 

in 1980 by Ronald Reagan.