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August 9,1974: Gerald R. Ford becomes the 38th President of The United States of America

Posted at 11:30 AM, Aug 09, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-09 11:30:39-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- On August 9, 1974 Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office and became the 38th Presidenty of The United States of America.

Ford took over for Richard Nixon who resigned the office in the midst of the Watergate scandal.

“In all my public and private acts as your President, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end. My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a Government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.” Ford said after taking the oath of office.

Gerald R. Ford was born in 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska but was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where after returning from World War II he practiced law until 1948.

In honor of this annivarsary the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will be free to the public today from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.