Gerald+Ford

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=(Gerald Ford)=

=__Biographical Information:__=

__Biographical Sketch:__
On July 14, 1913 Leslie Lynch King Jr. ( better known as Gerald Ford) was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mom. Gerald had gone to University of Michigan and was a football player there. He had also gone to Yale and served as a assisant coach while he was earning his law degree. During World War II he was lieutenant commander in the Navy. After the war had finished he went back to Grand Rapids. He practiced law and entered Republican politics. Right before the election to Congress he married his wife Elizabeth Bloomer and had 4 children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. Gerald Ford had been a Vice President to Richard Nixon. Gerald Ford had then become president on August 9, 1974. Gerald tried to master inflation, revive depressed economy, solve chronic energy shortages, and try to ensure world peace. He had been the first Vice President under the 25th amendement. He was also the 1st president to resign after the Watergate scandal.

=__Political Experience__=
 * (1949-1973) Gerald Ford served in the House of Representatives. He was reelected 12 times. Each time he had been elected he got a 60% increase vote.
 * (1951) Gerald Ford had been a member of the House of Appropriations Committee and rose up to be on the Defense Appropriations Subcommitee. He became a minority member in 1961. In 1961, Ford had defeated 67 year old Charles Hoeven of Iowa for the spot of Chariman of the House Republican Conference.
 * (1963-1965) President Johnson had appointed Ford to the Warren Commission. He had to investigate the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Ford had co-authored on a book called "Portrait of the Assassin." In 1965 Ford had challenged Charles Halleck for minority leader of the House. He had won and held the position for 8 years.
 * (1968-1972) Ford supported Richard Nixon during his presidency. In 1968 he had been considered as a Vice President. Ford had become president of the Senate.
 * (1973) Gerald Ford had become Vice President to Richard Nixon. Nixon ended up resigning because of impeachment.
 * ((1974-1977) Gerald Ford took the oath of Presidency on August 9, 1974. Nelson Rockefeller was his Vice President. Ford dealt with issues from unemployment to inflation.

=__Presidential Administration__=

Secretary of the Navy: Donald C. Winter
=__Domestic Affairs__=

When Ford came into presidency there was a high rate of unemployment and inflation. He had had a economic meeting with congressiional leaders and representatives of labor, industry, and agriculture.Ford had come up with a program to reduce inflation which was running at 12 percent as a yearlsy rate. Also, in 1976 Ford had relieved bankruptcy from railroads in the U.S. ConRail (Consolidated Rail Corporation) had combined 7 railroads in Northeastern United Sates and had been loaned $2.1 billion dollars to improve roadbeds and equipment. =__Foreign Affairs__= Gerald Ford had made alliances with countries from Southeast Asia to Africa and Latin America. He made policies that ignored international human right standards. Ford had sent billions of dollars of aid to General Nguyen Van Thieu in South Vietnam. Ford had provided military and economic aid and training for repressive internal security forces for more than a dozen Latin Americans. He had also sent aid and security assisant to other dictators such as: Ferdinand Marcos (in the Philippines) and Shah of Iran. In Africa, Ford had purchased millions of dollars of chrome from a white minority in Rhodesia. This was in violation of the UN embargo. Also, in November 1975 he encouraged the Spanish government to renege promise of independence for Western Sahara.

=__Famous Quotes__=

"My fellow Americans our long national nightmare is over." "Truth is the glue that holds governments together. Compromise is the oil that makes goverments go."

=__Interesting Facts : He was renamed after his adoptive father. His daughter Susan had her senior prom at the White House.__= =__Presidential Timeline__= Include a chronological timeline of the most important historical and political events that occured during your president's administration.
 * (1974)- Meeting with the USSR. Ford had meeting with a Soviet leader (Leonid Brezhnev). They discussed the arms race and how the number of offensive missiles should be limited on both sides. This meeting that had happened helped prevent a Nuclear World War 3.
 * ((1976)- During the year of 76 the ConRail had been established. ConRail had took 7 Northeastern railroads and combined them to form a railroad for freight services. Government had loaned 2.1 billion dollars to help improve roadbeds and outdated equipment.
 * ((1976)- This is when the Federal Campaign Finance Law came out. This law setup the Federal Election Commission : this had 6 members that had power to investigate violations of Federal Campaign Finance Law. This law says that Political Action Committees formed by unions, corporations, and other groups can't give more than $5,000 per candidate. A person that gives over $100 has to certify, under a penalty of perjury. No coorperation, consultation,or communication about the donation had happened between the candidate and donor.
 * (1974)- He helped to ensure world peace and solve problems such as chronic energy and social changes.

=__Image__= 1. 2. === =__Links__=

1. Gerald R. Ford Preseidential Library and museum 2. Gerald Ford's Foreign Policy Legacy 3. A.P.E.-Major Events with Gerald Ford