President Gerald Ford Dies at 93

Gerald Ford was America’s longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93.

August 9th, 1974, minutes after seeing Nixon off to exile following the Watergate scandal, Ford was sworn into office. Photo: USGov

(RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.) - “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age,” Mrs. Ford said in a brief statement issued Tuesday evening from Rancho Mirage, California. “His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.”

Ford was a member of the House of Representatives for 24 years from 1949 - 1973, and became Minority Leader of the House.

President Ford was Nixon’s hand-picked successor, chosen to replace Spiro Agnew who also was forced from office by a bribery scandal in October 1973, becoming the Nation’s first unelected vice president appointed under the 25th amendment to the Constitution.

He remains the only President to serve without being elected to either the presidency or vice presidency.

Less than a year later, August 9th, 1974, minutes after seeing Nixon off to exile, Ford assumed the office.

“My fellow Americans,” he said, “our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.”

He added, “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots. So I ask you to confirm me with your prayers.”

A month after taking office, Ford granted Nixon a full pardon for all crimes he committed as president, broadly understood as the turning point in his career.

In the short term, the pardon made him very unpopular with many and cost Ford the election in 1976, but the history books reflect the event as a courageous act that allowed the nation to move on.

Ford was in the White House only 895 days, but some say he changed it more than it changed him.

While President, two different women tried to kill him, but the presidency remained open and unaffected. He was not easily shook.

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. was born July 14th, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the fortieth Vice President and the thirty-eighth (1974-1977) President of the United States.

Gerald Ford was America’s longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93.