Gerald Ford
Post-Watergate
Ford restored procedural calm after Watergate but remains most remembered for pardoning Nixon and never winning a national election for president or vice president.
The presidency in power
Only president never elected president or vice president
Succeeded after Nixon resigned
Pardon of Richard Nixon
Sequence Recall
Term Structure
1974-08-09 to 1977-01-20
Succeeded after Nixon resigned from officeWhat This President Actually Did
Vice Presidents
Constitutional Themes
Twenty-Fifth Amendment in practice
Unelected presidency
Signature Measures
Post-Watergate ethics reset
Defining Crises
Nixon pardon backlash
Self-Test Prompts
Which party did Gerald Ford represent, and what broader era does this presidency belong to?
Republican. This presidency is grouped here under Post-Watergate.
How did Gerald Ford first enter office?
Succeeded after Nixon resigned from office.
What are the three most important moments to remember from this presidency?
Only president never elected president or vice president; Succeeded after Nixon resigned; Pardon of Richard Nixon.
Daily Drill Extension
Which presidents bracket Gerald Ford in the sequence?
Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter.
Which party and era should you associate with Gerald Ford?
Republican; Post-Watergate.
How did Gerald Ford first enter office?
Succeeded after Nixon resigned from office.
Name two high-signal moments that make Gerald Ford historically memorable.
Only president never elected president or vice president; Succeeded after Nixon resigned.
Which constitutional or institutional themes should you connect to Gerald Ford?
Twenty-Fifth Amendment in practice; Unelected presidency.