“Mr. Vice President, are you prepared to take the oath of office as President of the United States? I am, sir.”
August 9, 1974, then-Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as President of the United States after Richard Nixon resigned. Ford’s son Steve was 18 years old and had just graduated from high school but recognized the historic significance of the day.
“Dad became the first man to become President of the United States that didn’t go through the general election. He was appointed vice president. He was never on the ticket with Nixon. This was a constitutional crisis.”
He joins others from Ford’s time as president to host lectures, panel discussions and the opening of a new museum exhibit in honor of the 50th anniversary. One panel member is Carla Hills, Ford’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the first woman to hold that position.
“In the 70’s to put a woman in the Cabinet was controversial thing but you have to remember my mother too was all for the Equal Rights Amendment for women. She was not your traditional Republican so yeah; it was an interesting time.”
A time he believes has lessons to offer 50 years later.
“I think it’s good to look back and realize we’ve been through tough times and we survived. We got through the Vietnam War. We got through the Great Recession of 1974, things like that and this country is a great country.”
For details on events and exhibits, visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum website: https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/visit/museum
