| − | '''Gerald Rudolph “Jerry” Ford, Jr.''' (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) was the 38th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from August 9, 1974, to January 20, 1977. He was the first president not elected to either the presidency or vice-presidency. A Republican, Ford served as U.S. [[Representative]], 1948–73, and was the House Minority Leader from 1965 to 1973. His most famous and daring decision was to pardon former President [[Richard Nixon]] of any crimes for the good of the nation. Nixon appointed Ford as Vice President on the resignation of [[Spiro Agnew]]. When Nixon subsequently resigned as President, Ford succeeded him. | + | '''Gerald Rudolph “Jerry” Ford, Jr.''' (b. Leslie Lynch King, Jr., July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was the 38th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from August 9, 1974, to January 20, 1977. He was the first president not elected to either the presidency or vice-presidency. A Republican, Ford served as U.S. [[Representative]], 1948–73, and was the House Minority Leader from 1965 to 1973. His most famous and daring decision was to pardon former President [[Richard Nixon]] of any crimes for the good of the nation. Nixon appointed Ford as Vice President on the resignation of [[Spiro Agnew]]. When Nixon subsequently resigned as President, Ford succeeded him. |
| | President Ford received heavy criticism for pardoning Nixon. Ford watched helplessly as [[South Vietnam]] fell to a Communist invasion, after all American forces had been removed. He promoted [[détente]] with the [[Soviet Union]], incurring the wrath of the conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]]. He narrowly defeated Reagan for renomination in 1976 in the [[Republican Party]] primaries, then lost narrowly to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]]. | | President Ford received heavy criticism for pardoning Nixon. Ford watched helplessly as [[South Vietnam]] fell to a Communist invasion, after all American forces had been removed. He promoted [[détente]] with the [[Soviet Union]], incurring the wrath of the conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]]. He narrowly defeated Reagan for renomination in 1976 in the [[Republican Party]] primaries, then lost narrowly to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]]. |