 Gerald Ford takes theoath of office as the 38thpresident of the United States | |
| Date | August 9, 1974; 51 years ago (1974-08-09) |
|---|---|
| Location | East Room,White House, Washington, D.C. |
| Participants | Gerald Ford 38th president of the United States — Assuming office Warren E. Burger Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath |
Theinauguration ofGerald Ford as the 38thpresident of the United States was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in theEast Room of theWhite House inWashington, D.C.,[1] after PresidentRichard Nixon resigned due to theWatergate scandal. The inauguration – the last non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take placein the 20th century – marked the commencement of the only term (a partial term of 2 years, 164 days) of Ford as president.[a]Chief JusticeWarren E. Burger administered theoath of office. TheBible upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife,Betty Ford, open to Proverbs 3:5–6.[2] Ford was the ninthvice president tosucceed to the presidency intra-term, and he remains the most recent to do so, as of 2025.
Although this was the ninth, non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place since the presidency was established in 1789, it was the first to take place due to a resignation of a president; the previous eight had been occasioned by the president's death in office. Ford had become vice president only eight months earlier, afterSpiro Agnew resigned due to allegations of bribing while serving asBaltimore County Executive andGovernor of Maryland. He was the first vice president appointed as such under the terms of theTwenty-fifth Amendment. Thus, when he succeeded Nixon, Ford became the first (and remains the only) person to have held both the office of vice president and president without having been elected to either office.[3][4]
In a televised speech on August 8, 1974,PresidentRichard Nixon, who was facingimpeachment for his role in theWatergate scandal and alleged cover-up,[2] announced to the nation, "I shall resign thepresidency effective at noon tomorrow [August 9]."[5] At 9:00am the following morning, Nixon gave a farewell speech to anEast Room assembly of White House staff and selected dignitaries, including theCabinet and Vice PresidentGerald Ford. It was an emotional event, with Nixon nearly breaking down multiple times. When it was finished, Ford escorted Nixon toMarine One, where Nixon waved his trademark "V-for-victory" sign with both hands, and moved on to a flight to his hometown ofYorba Linda, California onboardAir Force One.
Nixon's resignation was tendered toUnited States Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger at 11:35 a.m. At that moment, Ford became the 38th president of the United States, although he took the officialoath of office at 12:05 p.m. After the former president (and now private citizen) Nixon left the building, the White House staff began preparations for President Ford's swearing-in. More chairs were added for the larger crowd of invited guests. The oath was administered to Ford byChief JusticeWarren E. Burger in theWhite HouseEast Room. Chief Justice Burger was traveling inthe Netherlands at the time, and was flown back toWashington, D.C., on an Air Force plane.[6] The first phone call that Ford, a former center on theUniversity of Michigan football team, made after his inauguration was on Saturday, August 10, 1974, toOhio State University football coachWoody Hayes, who had just recently suffered a heart attack.[7]
Immediately after taking thepresidential oath, Ford gave a speech (authored byCounselor to the PresidentRobert T. Hartmann)[8] alluding in his remarks to the unique and"extraordinary circumstances" that led to his ascension to the presidency:
I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers. And I hope that such prayers will also be the first of many ... If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. I have not campaigned either for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman—my dear wife,Betty—as I begin this very difficult job ... My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over ... OurConstitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy.
— Gerald Ford, Swearing-in Ceremony speech[9]
Immediately after the 850-word address was over, Ford introduced his new press secretary,Jerald terHorst, to the press corps, and met with the Cabinet.
Ford askedHenry Kissinger to stay on as Secretary of State in the new administration.[6] Later that day, Ford met with ambassadors of theNATO nations.
The May 20, 2015,series finale of theLate Show with David Letterman was introduced by archival footage of Ford's speech, and prerecorded cameos of former presidentsGeorge H. W. Bush,Bill Clinton,George W. Bush, and then-incumbentBarack Obama all saying, "our long national nightmare is over."[10][11]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States government.
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