‘I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.’ Gerald R. Ford said these words when he took office in 1974. Ford was the only person ever to hold the top U.S. office without having been chosen by the voters as either president or vice president.
As president, Ford tried to calm down the controversies that changed the political climate of America. He granted a full pardon to Nixon and made a cabinet from scratch. He believed that inflation was the primary threat to the economy, and thought that controlling inflation would help reduce unemployment. To rein in inflation, it was necessary to control the public’s spending. He believed that this shift would bring a better life for all Americans.
In his foreign policy, Ford tried to maintain U.S. power and prestige. Israel and Egypt were at the verge of breaking into a war. Ford helped persuade the two countries to accept an interim truce agreement. He also implemented a new agreement with the Soviet Union regarding nuclear weapons. Though he ran for the presidential election in 1976, he lost.
Ford was a good football player during his youth. He worked as an assistant coach while pursuing a law degree. Before joining politics, he worked in the Navy during the Second World War. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948 and served in Congress for 25 years. During his time in Congress, he developed a reputation for honesty and openness, qualities which helped him during his tenure as president.
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