Gerald Rudolph Ford 38th President of the United Sates of America

Originally Posted February 16, 2009


Located on the bank of the Grand River in the center of Grand Rapids Michigan the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is a striking building in a growing city.

While I find my parking space I am reminded of the death of Anwar al-Sadat. In 1981 Sadat is shot while reviewing troops from a viewing stand. President Ronald Reagan, Vice President Bush, along with former Presidents Nixon, Ford and Cater fly on Air-Force One to the funeral. While on this flight Ford becomes friends with Carter as they discuss two topics - the bible and Presidential Library’s.

The open vista of the city and the river are surrounded in a warmly lit glow of carved marble of the office seal. Atop the stone steps the exhibit starts.




At first I am worried that this will be a disappointing trip. The start of the exhibit is a clumsy collection from my parents basement of old records, disco balls, old newspaper clippings, with the worst choice in outfits from the 1970’s. Much like the montage in every Vietnam War movie that includes “All along the watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix - it is trite and shallow.

It starts with the resignation of President Richard Nixon, just like President Ford’s administration. But then it steps back and is a delightful look at his life.

In the 1930’s he went to the University of Michigan. He was an amazing athlete. Later he graduated from Yale University Law School. Before he could get his practice off the ground World War II started. Like so many of his generation he sought to serve. Ford nearly died as his ship turned in a typhoon. His agility and a six-inch lip along the deck were the only things keeping him from going overboard.

An Oval Office recreation is pretty interesting. Many of the items are from his time there. Small speakers and placed throughout the room with conversations of the daily operation.

Across from there is a small room covering foreign diplomacy. The multi-media AF1 excursions are just moderately interesting. I was surprised to read that he was the first American President to visit Japan. The worst part of this room and possibly the whole museum were the stairs from the US Embassy in South Vietnam. These steps were a lifeline for a few fortune families to ships waiting just off the coast. This iconic image of that time seems so sad that - 1) so few people were able to traverse these steps, 2) they seemed so small, and 3) they are a symbol of an American failure.





If you have never used a teleprompter, there is a nice setup here with President Ford’s acceptance speech to the Republican nomination. There is also a nice display on the Ford / Dole campaign. I can only say that had Ohio gone for Ford… But we known that there was no way a Buckeye would ever vote for a Wolverine.

There were two final areas on special display.

The first was “President George Washington” telling the highlights of his life in twenty minutes. Once again I find myself asking why HBO or another major studio has not made his life story into a mini series? His is one of the most interesting and least covered lives.

The second was a “miniature” traveling White House. It was an enormous scale dollhouse. There was a mass of people stepping about it the whole day so I did not get much time there - but super cool to see. Barney the dog was still a part of the exhibit, and was waiting to move to Texas when the new first dog is finally chosen.



Little known facts about President Ford:

He was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Ford was the first president to be an Eagle Scout.
He was offered tryouts by both the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
Both Ford and his wife, Betty, had been models before their marriage.
When Ford proposed to to his wife, he was wearing one brown & one black shoe.
Running for Congress in 1948, Ford campaigned on his wedding day.
Ford was one of the members of the Warren Commission appointed to study the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
One night, Ford was locked out of the White House while walking his golden retriever, Liberty. The Secret Service finally let him in.
Ford's daughter Susan held her senior prom at the White House.
He was the first president to release to the public a full report of his medical checkup.
Ford was the first president to visit Japan.
Ford was the only president whose two assassination attempts against him were made by women - Squeeky’s hand gun is on display there.

Presidents Day 2007 Link