Vice President Gerald R Ford | |||
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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 entered the Vice- presidency under circumstances unlike any other American president. On October 12, 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Ford, then House Minority Leader from Michigan, to become Vice President following Spiro Agnew’s resignation amid a corruption investigation. The nomination was made under Section 2 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, marking the first time the constitutional provision had been used to fill a vice-presidential vacancy. Congress confirmed Ford, and he was sworn in as the 40th Vice President on December 6, 1973. Ford's appointment as Vice President in 1973 was a significant event in American politics. President Nixon had to nominate a new Vice President, and he chose Gerald Ford, who was selected as vice president because Richard Nixon needed a man Congress and the country could trust.. Ford was not a presidential contender. He was not part of a political dynasty. He had never campaigned for the White House. What he possessed instead was something Washington desperately needed: a reputation for honesty, stability and personal integrity.
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 to stabilize the Nixon administration during a tumultuous time in American history.
After Spiro Agnew resigned from the position due to charges of bribery and tax evasion, 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.
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| The original Watergate burglars (L-R: James McCord, Jr., Virgilio Gonzalez, Frank Sturgis, Eugenio Martinez & Bernard Baker) |
As the scandal came to light, the Watergate break-in became the lead story every day in 1973, and several 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.
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.
On October 12,1973 President Nixon announced his intention to nominate Congressman Gerald R. Ford for confirmation by the House and the Senate to the position of Vice President. Following the announcement, made live from the White House East Room, a reception was held in the Blue Room. This was the first time the 25th Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1967) was applied.
President Nixon announces pending appointment of Gerald Ford
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.
In the months after his confirmation as vice president, Ford continued to support Nixon's innocence with regards to Watergate, even as evidence mounted that the Nixon administration had ordered the break-in and subsequently sought to cover it up. In July 1974, after the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over recordings of certain meetings he had held as president, the House Judiciary Committee voted to begin impeachment proceedings against Nixon. After the tapes became public and clearly showed that Nixon had taken part in the cover-up, Nixon summoned Ford to the Oval Office on August 8, where Nixon informed Ford that he would resign. Nixon formally resigned on August 9, making Ford the first President of the United States who had not been elected as either president or vice president.
Gerald Ford took the office of Vice President 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.
The Vice President’s Family struck many Americans as fun, energetic, youthful, and, above all, normal traits that added to the American public's comfort level with Ford.
The Vice President and Family wife Betty with son Steven and daughter Susan Ford
Gerald Ford would become the 38th President of the United States beginning on August 9, 1974, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.
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