Gerald Ford — 38th President of the United States
38th President of the United States, Republican
Gerald Ford
Term: Aug 9, 1974 – Jan 20, 1977
Gerald Ford (1913–2006) was the thirty-eighth president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He is the only person to have served as president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency: he was appointed vice president in 1973 under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment following the resignation of Spiro Agnew, then became president on August 9, 1974 when Richard Nixon resigned. His presidency centered on stabilizing an economy facing high inflation and recession, and in 1975 the United States signed the Helsinki Accords. In September 1974 he granted Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he might have committed as president — a decision that was widely debated and is often cited as a factor in his defeat in the 1976 election.
“My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”