Remembering President Ford (December, 2006)

"My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country." - First Lady Betty Ford

It is personally terribly sad to note that President Ford has passed away, today, December 26th, 2006. Let me please display an article I wrote in July of 2003, while visiting Grand Rapids, for President Ford's 90th Birthday Celebration at his museum. We are rarely in the company of such humble greatness. During, and after, President Ford's tenure, we were.

He will be sorely missed.


July, 2003

It's about midnight here in Grand Rapids, and I am winding things up. As I think I mentioned to a few, I came here to Michigan to see President Gerald Ford's birthday celebration, here in his hometown. I have come away from Michigan very happy to have met the people, excited at the research and the event today.

I was in college when I invited President Ford to come speak at my University; I knew it would be a long shot, but I wanted to try. I mailed him a typed letter, and sent it off, on the chance he could, aware he likely couldn't. A month later, I got a package in the mail from his office; I opened, there inside was a signed picture, and then the actual letter I'd sent; on top, in pen, was a note from President Ford, hand-written, telling me he couldn't attend because of a heavy schedule, with the initials in his familiar scrawl below the note. Even rather new to political work, I felt this was an exceptional thing for a President to do; I've had City Council members who wouldn't return my call- it was -genuine-. I was as much a Democrat then as I am now, and that note was a show for those titles to melt, and let civics attend. I badgered one of President Ford's staff today, telling him that story - I felt I had to- this staffer's response was, "Well, that's the kind of guy he is". I agree. That stamp of real, decent humanity is shown to us, but it also belongs to us. We get to have him as one of our own. We can look at his person and his record for counsel; we can look at what he took with him into his politics, and at home, and learn from him. There is no need to be a political cynic; the map is there for us who may be involved in the political word, and as long as we are willing to follow it, then we can keep the good faith that is best called a bedrock for our work, and for us.


Tuesday, July 29th, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor.

The Gerald R. Ford library, in Ann Arbor, is a dream for the historian, just as much so for an amateur like me. Arriving in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, I went to my hotel and drove the two hours to Ann Arbor to catch an hour of reading - enough time for just a taste of what is in those papers. The staff walked me through the immediate concerns of a first-time researcher and promptly set me down with the two boxes of documents I had requested, and moments later - literally, just a few minutes after I arrived, the archives were open. I was given the Presidential Handwriting File, a set of papers the President had seen, and made notes on. I felt this would be a good indicator - even as superficial as only an hour reading can give- of how the President's staff relates to the day-to-day work the President does; this was true. There were some good examples of the fact that senior staff really do hang on to each word of a President. There is no room for a forgotten thought in the Oval Office, and the staff ensures that such a high standard is met - on matters of great importance, but also on matters of simple interest to the President. Two examples come to mind; an early packet of documents compiled by the President's secretary containing an article from a 1948 magazine as well as note from Mamie Eisenhower. The President had been given a document in his in-box, citing the Chicago Tribune's "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline, as well as an article the New Yorker outlining a Dewey administration - prepared in advance, it looked like, in case Dewey would win. On the note citing these pieces, President Ford had written a note, a couple of words; "I guess the Tribune wasn't the only wrong one. I wonder what the New Yorker printed". This note was then placed in his outbox - couldn't be more routine!

This simple annotation went back to his secretary, who then made a typewritten transcript of his note, in addition to the note he had responded to, and then the whole thing was sent to the Chief of Staff's office, where the transcript was read, analyzed as to what the President wanted, leading to another packet being assembled, this one for the President, with a notation of what he had asked for - in this case, the original article cited, as well as a copy of that article, to be placed in his inbox, with a designation similar to "For the President, regarding your memo of July 10th, in which you wrote "I guess the Tribune wasn't the only wrong one. I wonder what the New Yorker printed". Enclosed is a photocopy of the New Yorker, December, 1948. And that repeats itself for every scrap of paper with the President's handwriting on it. This was evident; the aforementioned letter of support from Mamie Eisenhower merited a couple sentences on a sheet of paper from the President before he put it in his outbox, "I like to save letters like this in a special file"; and the routine begins again, files, transcripts, and then action; to make sure the President's details are met, for every document, for every need, and now, close to thirty years afterward, people like us can be grateful for the insight that system gives us into the workings of the Presidency.

There is also something to be said here about the nature of people who consider this sort of work - reading, thinking, thumbing through history, to be fun; I am one of them, and I think everyone else on staff and those who frequent this library is cut of that cloth, too. To be sure, we can't lose the humor inherent in realizing a great personal enthusiasm and excitement upon discovering on the shelves of the library- this is true - the autobiography of Helmut Schmidt, former Chancellor of Germany (among many other great books. This book just happens to be the most obscure of that sort, and also something I have tried to find in the past). This makes C-SPAN look like a garden party! It was, quite seriously, very fitting to be in that environment; also a very good time. I left the library at about 4:30 that afternoon, after looking through some of the displays in the entrance hallway; it is of course a working library, but it sure has the touch of history befitting a President; on one wall is a displayed letter sent from Congressman Ford to his district; in a glass case is a letter from the President of South Viet Nam to President Ford. Across the hall is a conference room with the Presidential Seal etched in glass on the door. It's President Ford's library, but it's also ours, and when we're there, we find ourselves in an ever interesting sense that here, people come to open these files, they write about what they see - they do this with a curiosity, and in this library, that curiosity is the guardian of work that President Ford has done. The next few hours were spent in a quite leisurely drive back to Grand Rapids; I did get somewhat lost, but it was fine - Michigan reminds me of home, but a little cooler and with more trees, and I enjoyed the drive. Of course, on a couple days' vacation, one is prone to enjoy, and I did. It was easy to spend time among Michiganders; not too different from Iowans in many regards. For every Jensen, Hansen, Petersen, in northeastern Iowa, it seems there is a DeGroote, VanDer May, or Den Haartog in western Michigan, and I know from being a midwesterner, that the friendliness offered me in that state was genuine.

Wednesday, July 30th, Grand Rapids.

I spent most of the early morning driving around Grand Rapids, and made it to the Ford Museum (The Ford Museum is in his hometown of Grand Rapids, where the Ford Library is at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Ford's Alma Mater) with time to take a look around before the festivities started for the "Hometown Celebration". I pulled up there, and was greeted by the openness of the building; there's a plaza, neighbored by a fountain, park, and a river, and the entrance to the museum. Upon entering was a portrait of President Ford, and an etching of part of his inaugural address, "you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, so I ask you to confirm me with your prayers....I have not sought this enormous responsibility, but I will not shirk it".

The inside of the museum is just fun. There's a section of the Berlin Wall, a terrific shield on the wall, of concrete, of the Presidential seal, and up the stairs, it all begins with a simple exhibit of life in the 1970's; then the original Watergate tools, and a quick introduction to the 25th Amendment, and the nature of the time that would give us the Ford Presidency. One senses the mood of the country; we can quickly note the apprehension of the country through mid-1974; we see a bit of the cold sweat the political world had come to. The exhibits remind us of this, but doesn't dwell on it. After the recognition of what made Gerald Ford the President, we're taken to west Michigan of the 20's and 30's to see the world the President was born into. It is in truth a world that many an American would recognize; the pictures displayed are not so far removed from those of my Grandparents; neither are the scenes of World War II, and the images of a young family returning to a civilian world. Of course, most households of the 1940's did not include the rigors of a Congressional campaign and a win, and a move to Washington. We see Ford as a likeable, tough, and able politician. Much is made of President Ford's gentle and easygoing nature, but we can't let that obscure the real competition that sent him to DC. It must be said that Ford was not part of the "old boy" network in Western Michigan; he was not one who had been sought by party leaders to fill a vacancy; no, he started his political career by bucking a very well entrenched system - he gained his seat Congress by beating an incumbent- in the 1948 Republican primary.

I have had my share of state political gatherings, and I have to imagine that a Grand Rapids, Michigan, political exchange of that time couldn't have been so far removed from some of the county conventions I have been to; if so, then with higher stakes; in my own work, I have seen entrenched authority quite skillfully push away an upstart, and there is no question this young candidate noted the considerable pressure. But he kept going, he went to farms and he went to barbershops, behaving in his campaign the way he said he would were he to be sent to Washington. Many have written about Ford saying to a farmer, "I don't know about prices for milk. What should I be doing in Congress if I happen to win this?". How many people in 1948 would have a story like that? Enough to win him that primary, and with that, the powers that be in Western Michigan, became the powers that went; and Ford was in Congress. This scene would repeat itself in 1964; Ford gained national prominence upon becoming chairman of the House Republican Conference - defeating Charles Hoeven, from my state of Iowa, and then to become Minority Leader - again, challenging and beating an incumbent. This is the stage upon which Gerald Ford would become President; from roots in Michigan and in the US Congress.

At about three o'clock that afternoon, the library closed, in order to get ready for President Ford's visit to the new exhibits. I went outdoors as the park by the river was done up for the day's celebration - even so early in the day, the best seats in the house were taken! Local business had donated food and beverages for those in attendance, and a good hour before it all began, there were already a few thousand people to offer their wishes. The program started with President Ford coming out of the museum, to go and take a picture with all kids who had assembled- hundreds of them! Out of the several thousand in attendance, a few hundred of us had waited on a plaza outside the door to see his entrance into the park- he came out after photos with the staff of the museum, and at that point, it all began. The program itself was full, an Army band played, a tenor sang, and then President Ford took his seat on the stage as the Army Chorus entertained; the former Ambassador to Italy, Pete Secchia, was the chair of the events, and was the master of ceremonies; he spoke of his friend the President; as did Grand Rapids' Member of Congress, Rep. Vern Ehlers; a Member, who, he said, is often reminded by his colleagues that he is working in "Jerry Ford's seat". It is heartening for a pol of my nature, too; the Governor of Michigan spoke for a brief time; she's a Democrat - like me.

Much was made of the fact that she, as an eighteen year-old, was a "Ford Girl" when he and Jimmy Carter ran against each other. But that too had a prescience; she spoke of her gratitude to the President for having such broad shoulders, letting a political like her stand on, as she does her work, with the ethic, if not the party, that he took from Michigan to Washington. That also sums up how I see this President; I have seen so many terrific and good hearted people in politics, from a Gore to a Harkin to many in my state and locale - and I would hope that all in politics, from the nation to the neighborhood, would also be able to draw from a reserve that President Ford so clearly has. When I see the work that is done in good faith, then it makes it quite easy and very necessary to pass on that faith to the extent that I can, in the spirit of so many others who do it so well. It is only what we should expect.

Then President Ford - accompanied on stage by his daughter Susan - rose to the podium to talk to his people, his town. "Happiness is coming home to Grand Rapids", mentioned the President close to thirty years ago on a campaign event, and that sentiment has, it seems, only grown. He took to the stage as a vital man, who was clearly glad to be home! One could just cut through how happy the assembled guests were to catch a glimpse of "Jerry" - almost everyone I spoke to of a certain age called him by his first name, and these people, these Michiganders were very pleased to be represented by this President. Ford stood at that podium and waved his hands above his head, and let the people who had been there for him through his life - political and personal - that on this day, he was at home. He spoke with no notes; reminiscing in a grateful manner of where he had grown up, he mentioned that he had some extra time that morning, and asked the Secret Service to take him around town - to where his High School was; to where he and Mrs. Ford had their first date. There were four F-16's that flew over, and then the celebration was done. President Ford took off, and the crowd disbursed; as I went to my car, I ran into a group of people who had been President Ford's "Scatterblitzers"- Grand Rapids people who went all over the country in the 1976 election to elect the President; we had a good exchange. I was curious if any of them had come to Iowa during that election; no, they hadn't, but they wanted to know what led me to Michigan for this. I told them, and once it was clear we were all in the same club, I made sure they knew that not only was I an Iowan, but also a Democrat! That ended up being quite alright with them, and we shared a good couple of laughs about how Michigan isn't that different from Iowa - I believe that!

I am a political science person by nature and by credential; we read of these people in the White House and in Congress as those who further policy, to be sure, but I think we have a considerable gain to be made by going ahead and opening ourselves up - as constituents and of those in interest - to the real, human factors that go into the work these people do. In the middle of this great crowd, here to see their President, I was quickly impressed by how clearly happy President Ford was to be at home. We have an inclination to see these people, these presidents, as symbols - in every degree, they are. But that is not all they are; today in Michigan, in Grand Rapids, Gerald Ford is a gentleman being toasted by the people who he loves, and who love him.

Thursday, July 31th, Grand Rapids

In a stroke of good timing, I came back to my hotel to see on the news that the President was set to dedicate a bust at the airport not long before my flight, so I went; arriving there about 10:45 in the morning, I noticed quickly chairs set up and room for cameras, and I stayed put where I was. I had a ten dollar camera, but a woman and her mom agreed to send me doubles of the pictures they took - after a few moments, the Secret Service arrived, and then so did President Ford - this time, not as one of many on a stage, but with only a few people by him; we on the sides were no further away than the VIP's in the front row. The dignitaries spoke, and so did President Ford - again, really of his time at home. I kept so touched by how evident it was that he was tickled to be there! So were we, all of us present. The bust was unveiled - perhaps being the centerpiece of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, a beautiful likeness and skilled piece of work. President Ford said to all, bringing down the house, "you've done a hell of a job, considering what you had to work with"!! We all laughed; then he turned to the Army Chorus - following him from the celebration the previous day- and thanked them for the years they gave him and Mrs. Ford in DC, in Vail, at Camp David and in California. I have been around plenty of politicians and seen many, almost routine, senses of gratitude -the thanks one hears at a fund raiser- but I walked away from this, watching a person clearly touched by what his community gave him. As an observer, I do know that President Ford had no reason to be surprised at his welcome, but his humility likely told him otherwise.

After his remarks were done, he and his entourage took off; I was able to recount the story of President Ford's letter to me in college to the Ambassador and to the Congressman, these friends of Gerald Ford who threw this party for him, and once that happened, it was time for me to go home.

There is plenty to think about. My earliest memories are of a country soundly guided from the steady hand of President Ford; healed then, and now truthfully inspired by a good man who performed his duty well.


August 2nd, 2003

Back home, in Iowa, after a delightful time in Michigan. Please forgive the many certain omissions, there is so much to write. A pleasure to have been able to witness this past week!