Happy Presidents Day

Gerald Ford is the only president who was from Michigan as a resident and elected official, even though he was born in Nebraska. Ford was born in Omaha in 1913, moved to Grand Rapids as a toddler in 1916, and grew up in Michigan where he spent nearly his entire life before and after the presidency.

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1935, Ford went on to Yale Law School, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1946, and then returned to Grand Rapids to begin his political career. In 1948, he was elected to represent Michigan’s 5th Congressional District, a seat he held for 25 straight years until 1973.

Ford became vice president in December 1973 after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. Less than a year later, on August 9, 1974, Ford became president when Richard Nixon resigned over Watergate. He remains the only president in U.S. history to take office without being elected president or vice president.

As president from 1974 to 1977, Ford focused on restoring stability after Watergate, addressing inflation and economic slowdown, and rebuilding public trust in government. His decision to pardon Nixon in September 1974 remains one of the most debated presidential decisions in American history, but Ford said at the time it was made to help the country move forward.

For Michigan, Ford’s presidency is not a footnote. He was raised here, represented Michigan for decades, and carried a Michigan political identity into the Oval Office. On Presidents Day, Michigan stands alone as the state that produced a president through residency, service, and long term representation rather than birthplace alone.

When Michiganders think about Presidents Day, does Gerald Ford still stand out as Michigan’s president to you? See less
— at Flint Talk.