When the Center Held: Gerald Ford and the Rescue of the American Presidency

Gerald R. Ford has the distinction of being the only politician to have held the office of vice president and president without being elected to either. He was a multi-term congressman from Michigan who was chosen by President Nixon to replace disgraced VP Spiro Agnew. Ford succeeded Nixon when the shadows of Watergate finally overwhelmed Nixon. The office of president was disgraced, and the country was mired in fractious turmoil. On August 9th, 1974, a friendly face was needed, and Ford was that face. Ford contacted friend and former Congressman Donald Rumsfeld and asked for his assistance in the transition of power. Rumsfeld would ably assist and become Ford’s chief of staff. Stability was emphasized during the new administration. Detente was in a tenuous position between the US and USSR. The economy was faltering, inflation the new normal. The new administration would need to wade through the roughest of seas from the pardon of Nixon to SALT treaties to the investigation of intelligence abuses. Ford is seen as being adept at leading as well as at taking advice from his closest advisers.

Donald Rumsfeld’s take on the Ford presidency is a refreshing position on a tough two-and-a-half-year period. His position as a key insider made him privy to many decisions, and that makes his take on the 38th president a valuable commodity. An excellent biography and addition to 1970s history.