Biography of Ford, Gerald - Archontology
Ford, Gerald

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.

b. 14 Jul 1913, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
d. 26 Dec 2006, Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California

Title: President of the United States
Term: 9 Aug 1974 - 20 Jan 1977
Chronology: 27 Nov 1973, nomination to the office of Vice President of the United States is confirmed by voting, session of the Senate, Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. [1]
  6 Dec 1973, nomination to the office of Vice President of the United States is confirmed by voting, session of the House of Representatives, House Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. [2]
  6 Dec 1973, took the oath prescribed by law, joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, House Chamber, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. [3]
9 Aug 1974, entered upon the duties of the office of President of the United States upon the resignation of an incumbent, commencement of term [4]
9 Aug 1974, took an oath of office as President of the United States, inaugural ceremony, East Room, White House, Washington, D.C. [5]
20 Jan 1977, expiration of term
Names/titles: Original name: Leslie Lynch King, Jr.; after 1 Feb 1916 known as Gerald R. Ford, Jr.; adopted by stepfather and name changed to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr., on 3 Dec 1935.
Biography:
Attended public schools; graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1935; graduated from Yale University Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, 1941; admitted to the bar in 1941; served in the United States Navy 1942-1946; elected as a Republican to the 81st Congress; reelected to the twelve succeeding Congresses and served from 3 Jan 1949, until his resignation from the United States House of Representatives 6 Dec 1973, to become Vice President of the United States; minority leader (89th through 93rd Congresses); nominated by President Richard Nixon (12 Oct 1973) to fill the vacant vice-presidential post after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Theodore Agnew, who pleaded no contest to charges of income tax evasion; confirmed by the Senate (27 Nov 1973); confirmed by the House of Representatives and sworn in (6 Dec 1973); first Vice President to be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Congress pursuant to the 25th amendment to the Constitution of the United States; sworn in as the 38th President of the United States, 9 Aug 1974, when President Nixon resigned, and served until 20 Jan 1977; granted a full pardon to Nixon (8 Sep 1974); ordered an airlift of anticommunist Vietnamese refugees in the final days of the Vietnam War in April 1975; sent the Marines to seize the American cargo ship Mayaguez seized by Cambodia (1975); survived two attempts of assassination; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1976.
Biographical sources: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005).

[1] Congressional Record, 93rd Congress, 1st Session, 38212-38225.
[2] Congressional Record, 93rd Congress, 1st Session, 39807-39899.
[3] Congressional Record, 93rd Congress, 1st Session, 39925-39927.
[4] Richard M. Nixon Resignation Letter, 08/09/1974, Record Group 59: General Records of the Department of State, 1756–1979, NARA, College Park, MD. (ARC #302035)
[5] The New York Times, New York, Saturday, August 10, 1974, vol. CXXIII, No. 42,567, pp. 1, 3.