The Gerald Ford Museum expands the list of Presidential Museums we have visited: Lincoln, Truman, Eisenhower, and Reagan. Gerald Ford was never elected President, but rather assumed the position under the grimmest of circumstances. Ford, who was Speaker of the House, had been appointed by President Nixon to replace Spiro Agnew as Vice President. Agnew was forced to resign after revelations of his corrupt practices while Governor of Maryland. President Nixon then resigned as the depth of the Watergate scandal became clear to the nation. As the unelected Chief Executive, President Ford was faced with the difficult task of healing the nation’s wounds and reestablishing respect for Presidential authority. Gerald Ford and the Constitution brought us through this crisis.
The Ford Museum chronicles his solid mid-western upbringing – from Eagle Scout to scholarship student at the U of Michigan where he played football. Later Ford served in the Navy during WWII, went to Yale Law School, and then challenged an isolationist Republican for a seat in the House of Representatives.
He placed his campaign headquarters in a Quonset hut reminiscent of his military service. After that, he never lost an election until he tried for a second term as President. His loss was attributed to his pardon of Richard Nixon, something that was very controversial at the time. In retrospect, Ford’s decision is seen by most to have been a wise move, which allowed the nation to heal and to go forth unencumbered by the political malaise occasioned by Watergate. As the museum illustrates, Gerald Ford served our nation well.
No comments:
Post a Comment