Gerald Rudolph Ford

Ford, Gerald Rudolph 

Born July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Neb. American statesman.

Ford was the son of a small businessman. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935 and from Yale Law School in 1941. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the US Navy. After demobilization, he had a law practice for a short period. From 1948 to 1973, Ford was a Republican member of the US House of Representatives and from 1965 to 1973 was the leader of the Republicans in the House. In October 1973, after the resignation of Vice-President S. Agnew, President R. Nixon nominated Ford for vice-president; he was confirmed by Congress in December 1973. On Aug. 9, 1974, as a result of Nixon’s resignation, Ford became president.

As president, Ford on the whole continued the domestic and foreign policies of the previous administration. In particular, he announced his intention to continue the foreign policy that had been adopted in the early 1970’s. In 1974 and 1975, Ford met with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU L. I. Brezhnev near Vladivostok (November 1974) and in Helsinki (July and August 1975). At the same time, Ford did not hesitate to strengthen the military potential of the USA. In 1975 he proclaimed the Pacific Doctrine, intended to strengthen the position of the USA in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific. In the area of domestic policies, Ford was chiefly concerned with economic problems, above all the crisis state of the US economy. Many of Ford’s measures were opposed by Congress, which was trying to expand its power over domestic and foreign policy. Ford was defeated in the presidential election of 1976.