On August 9, 1974, at 12:03 in the afternoon, just three minutes after having escorted former President Richard Nixon to an awaiting helicopter, Gerald Rudolph Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger.
In his brief inaugural address, Ford tried to set the tone for his administration -- open, honest, direct: "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots," he said. "So I ask that you to confirm me as your president with your prayers. ... If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. ... I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man and only to one woman, my dear wife."
The Robinson
Library
American History.--United States: General History
and Description.--Later
Twentieth Century, 1961-2000.--Gerald
Ford's Administration, 1974-1977.--Gerald Rudolph Ford.
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