Vice President Gerald R Ford | |||
| |||
Type Of Activity | Political
Appointment | ||
Location | |||
Location | Washington
DC | ||
Date of Activity | December 6, 1973 | ||
Coordinates | |||
Vice President Ford sworn into Office 6 Dec 1973
Gerald R. Ford's appointment as Vice President in 1973 was a significant event in American politics. After Spiro Agnew resigned from the position due to charges of bribery and tax evasion, President Nixon had to nominate a new Vice President, and he chose Gerald Ford, who was the House Minority Leader at the time.
This appointment made Gerald Ford the first person to be appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which provided for the appointment of a Vice President in case of a vacancy in the office. Before the amendment's ratification in 1967, the President had to nominate a new Vice President, and the nomination had to be confirmed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Ford's appointment demonstrated the importance of choosing a Vice President who is respected and trusted by both parties, as he was able stabilize the Nixon administration during a tumultuous time in American history.
Ford
was a popular and respected member of Congress, known for his integrity and
bipartisanship. He was also seen as a steady and reliable figure who would help the Nixon administration, which was
facing multiple crises, including the Watergate scandal.
Ford's
appointment was a pivotal moment in American history. His leadership helped the
country navigate a difficult period, and his commitment to integrity and
honesty set an example for future leaders to follow. Prior to his appointment,
Ford had served as a congressman from Michigan for 25 years and had been the
House Minority Leader since 1965. His selection was seen as a move to bring
stability to the White House, which was reeling from the Watergate scandal.
Although
some members of Congress expressed concern that Ford was not the right person
for the job, he was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 92-3.
Gerald
Ford served as Vice President for about eight months before President Nixon
resigned in August 1974, and Ford became the President of the United States.
The
unusual chain of events that lifted Gerald Ford to the Oval Office began in
1972 when operatives connected to President Richard Nixon’s re-election
campaign broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the
Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.
I had arrived in Key Biscayne around
the time that the break-in occurred and just in time for the 1972 Republican
Convention in Miami.
As
the scandal came to light, the Watergate break-in became the lead story every
day in 1973, and a number of high-ranking Nixon administration officials knew
about the break-in, and the president himself took part in efforts to cover up
the illegal activities that became known as the Watergate scandal.
Gerald
Ford, a Republican from Michigan, was sworn in as Vice
President of the United States on December 6, 1973, following Spiro
Agnew's resignation.
Vice
President Ford took office just a month before I was discharged, so I never had
an opportunity to support him like I had supported Vice President Agnew. As
Vice President, Ford remained mostly in the background, supporting President
Nixon's policies and initiatives.
Vice President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty Ford, had three sons and one daughter. The Vice President Family struck many Americans as fun, energetic, youthful, and, above all, normal traits that added to the American public's comfort level with Ford.
