Why Is Gerald Ford A Significant President

Gerald Ford was a significant president. He was the 38th president of the United States and was elected on August 9th, 1974, when Richard Nixon resigned from presidency. Gerald Ford was a significant person throughout his life. Ford had a noteworthy life before he had become president. After the Watergate scandal, Ford did many great things during his presidency that made him significant. He was also a remarkable person after he was president.

Gerald Ford’s life before presidency was notable. Ford joined the local Boy Scout Troop 15 of Trinity Methodist Church in 1925. Two years later, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Making him the first president to become an Eagle Scout. In 1931-1935, Ford attended the University of Michigan

in Economics. He played center on the football team at Michigan. He earned three varsity letters and was named “Most Valuable Player” on the 1934 football team. He declined professional football contract offers from the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. In September of 1935, Yale University hired him to be an assistant football and boxing coach. On March 12, 1940 Ford appeared in Look Magazine with then girlfriend Phyllis Brown. She was a model for the Cosmopolitan Magazine. In spring of 1941, he graduated in the top third of his law school class at Yale. Ford volunteered for the U.S. Navy and he became a physical training instructor in February 1942. He got promoted to Lieutenant Commander in Spring of 1945 and in February 1946, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. Ford was elected as Congressman from Michigan for thirteen terms from November 2, 1948 to his final term in 1972. After he declined a run for U.S. Senate, he won his fourth term as U.S. Congressman in November 1954. He won

Richard Nixon resigned on August 9th, 1974. Ford became president the second Nixon resigned. He was the first to hold that office without have been elected president or vice-president. Ford was determined to do all he could to get the country back on its feet and to restore pride and trust in the government. Ford stated, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.” He promised he would keep the foreign policy that Nixon had started and he kept his promise to the country. On August 20th, 1974 Form nominated Nelson Rockefeller, former Governor of New York, to be Vice President. Ford held his first press conference on August 28th, 1974. Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for any of the crimes he committed as President. On November 17, 1974 Ford departed for a visit to japan---the first visit to that country by an American President----and he visited South Korea and the Soviet Union. He did many significant things while he was