Liam Schilter
5/4/14
7B-LA
G. Ford Paper
From the second Gerald Ford was put into office, he began working tirelessly to restore faith in our country. The 38th president, and many think he was possibly the most courageous and giving we’ve ever had. He had given much of his life to our country, and shown courage even in the toughest of times. He is Gerald R. Ford, football star, eagle scout, and a straight “A” student, president of the United States of America.
Gerald Ford was Born July 14, 1913 in Omaha Nebraska as Leslie Lynch Jr. in a house that his parents lived in with his father’s parents. His parents were Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King Sr. Sixteen days after his birth, his mother separated from his father mainly due to physical abuse. Mrs. Gardner moved out and took Leslie to a town in Illinois, where her of her sister and brother-in-law. From there Dorothy Gardener took him to her parents, Levi Addison Gardner and Adele Augusta Ayer, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he would grow up. Dorothy and King were legally divorced in December 1913 and Dorothy had full custody of her son. After two years of living with her parents, Mrs. Gardner married Gerald R. Ford, a salesman in a family owned company. They then called her son Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr., although they wouldn’t legally change his name until years afterwards. His new “parent” never actually adopted him either, although was still referred to as “Dad.” He had three half-brothers from his mother, Thomas Gardner Ford, Richard Addison Ford, and James Francis Ford. Ford had three more half-siblings, Marjorie King, Leslie Henry King, and Patricia Jane King, although he never met them.
Ford was oblivious of his peculiar birth condition until the age of sevente...
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... and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." Ford was active after his presidency, and made appearances. In October 2001, Ford told the Republican party that gay and lesbian couples “[Should] be treated equally. Period." As Ford became older, he suffered two minor strokes in 2000, and in January, 2006 he spent 11 days at a hospital. By November 2006, he was kept in a bed in his study. President Ford had a coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis and insufficiency, caused by alteration of one of his heart valves.
Ford died on December 26, 2006, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 93 (and 165 days), making him the longest living president. he became the 11th president to “Lie in State,” Betty Ford died on July 8, 2011. They now rest on the grounds of the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Throughout history there have been many great leaders. Many leaders who have changed the shape of America and also soldiers of today’s Army. One leader that comes to mind and has shaped me into the leader I am today is Abraham Lincoln. When I look at Abraham Lincoln and what he has done, I think of what Army Leadership manual ADRP 6-22 defines what a leader should be and how leadership is based off of attributes and competencies.
Gerald Ford, the thirty-eighth President of the United States, was born on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska to Dorothy Ayer Gardner King and Leslie Lynch King. Ford was named after his father, Leslie Lynch King Jr., who was later divorces by his mother because of domestic violence problems. After divorcing Leslie Lynch King, Ford’s mother moved the two to Grand Rapids, Michigan where she met Gerald R. Ford. Ford’s mother called her son Gerald R. Ford Jr., and his name was legally changed in 1935. Gerald Ford went to South High School where he shined athletically and academically. He then proceeded to go the the University of Michigan in Ann Harbor and majored in economics. Ford excelled at the sport of football and was voted the most valuable player in 1934. Because of his skills in football, Ford received two proposals from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. Ford declined and chose to be a boxing coach as well as an assist at varsity football coach at Yale. Ford chose Yale because he wanted to practice law. Ford graduated with his L.L.B. (Bachelor of Law Degree) in 1941 and in the top twenty-five percent of his class. In the April of 1942, Ford joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and practiced physical fitness. Later in life, Ford would marry Elizabeth Anne Bloomer and they would have four children together.
Ford’s political life began in 1917 when he announced his intention to seek election as a senator for the state of Michigan. Once his campaign began, the state’s majority appeared to favor Ford. This voter popularity was gained largely after Ford revealed his life story - the son of a simple farmer; he overcame many obstacles rising to the status of a multimillionaire business person and potential Michigan senator. Many voters also admired Ford for his engineering feats, his notably low costing automobiles, and the high salaries that he paid his employees. Running as a peace candidate and not claiming affiliation to a political party, Ford placed his name on both republican and democratic primary ballots. All of the democratic candidates withdrew from the primary race, securing the nomination for Henry Ford, while Truman H. Newberry would eventually win the republican nomination.
Ronald Wilson Reagan served two terms as the 40th president of the United States of America. Reagan was known for having a strong faith in the goodness of people. In college he was known as, “the jack of all trades” for excelling in everything he did (“Life Before the Presidency”). President Reagan’s beliefs gave him lots of respect from citizens around the world. One of his main beliefs was that peace comes with strength. I believe that Ronald Reagan was a great president because of his leadership qualities, domestic policies, and foreign policies.
The oath that I have taken is the same oath that was taken by George Washington and by every President under the Constitution. But I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances never before experienced by Americans.” Gerald R. Ford stated this in 1974, during his first presidential address after the resignation of the 37th President Richard Nixon. President Ford was the 38th president and the only president to assume the Presidency the way he did. President Ford was born July 14, 1913, in Omaha Nebraska. Fords’ parents were divorced just sixteen days after he was born. The divorce was brought on shortly after Gerald’s birth because his biological father had a history of abusing his wife. Gerald’s father threatened to kill his wife, his newborn son, and the nursemaid with a butcher knife. Both Fords father and mother would remarry. Fords stepfather treated Ford like his own son raising him in church and teaching him to be a respectable young man. Gerald Fords biological name was Leslie Lynch King, Jr. sharing the same name as his biological father. Fords name would be changed February 1, 1916 when his mother remarried. She married Gerald R. Ford, a painter and varnish salesmen living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford Sr. never legally adopted the Gerald and his name was never legally changed until 1935. Gerald Ford attended Grand Rapids High where he was a star athlete, becoming the captain of the football team in 1930. He was a high achieving Eagle Scout, reaching the highest rank possible. In addition to reaching this goal, Ford is the only United States president to have achieved this rank of Eagle Scout. Ford played football for the University of Michigan where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1934 in a game against...
A presidents persona and character are determining factors of a president's policies and ideas. Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was one of the greatest, most influential presidents that there ever was. Theodore Roosevelt made America a stronger and more powerful nation due to all of his careers and achievements in his life.
From the very beginning of his time in the presidential spotlight, Theodore Roosevelt signified the Progressive goal and ambition. Often times, Roosevelt’s presidency is labeled as accidental or ironic. This irony is present in the fact that he was given the role of vice president to William McKinley simply because Roosevelt’s rising popularity and progressive ideals were seen as a threat by McKinley. The McKinley administration figured that they could silence the growing progressive voice Roosevelt embodied by giving him the menial position of vice president. So, it was seen as a shock when McKinley was suddenly assassinated, six months into his second term, and Roosevelt rose to power bringing with him new excitement and power to the Presidency (Theodore Roosevelt ). It is exactly this surge of excitement and charisma which made Roosevelt one of America’s most unforgettable presidents. His presidential career and attitude can be described by the phrase “steward of the people” which he aimed to embody throughout his term, this meant that Roosevelt made his primary goal to maintain the public good to the fullest extent of his power (Theodore Roosevelt ). Roosevelt’s character and contributions to the Progressive campaign are both equally important parts of American history and will be explored throughout this paper.
Throughout the history of the United States there has been extraordinary individuals both in business and government that have demonstrated their abilities to be affective leaders among the people in which they are in charge of. There are many definitions of what a leader is and what characteristics a leader should have. One man that demonstrates all aspects of a leader and that has been deemed on the list of one of the greatest presidents who has ever served respectfully belongs to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America… No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States” (“The Constitution” National Archives 1).
After the election Roosevelt began to have health problems and rapidly his health began to completely fail him. This combined with a rare jungle fever, caught on an expedition to the Amazon, left Roosevelt dying and prematurely aged. On January 6, 1919 Theodore Roosevelt died of a sudden blood clot in the heart. With the passing of Theodore Roosevelt so to passed the progressive Republican party.
As many scholars before him and many after him, Woodrow Wilson was a reformist, in that, he endeavored to change the way the government operated (Buck, Cox, Morgan, p. 5). He demanded the efficient operation of the government. He was actually one of the first politicians who specifically asked for efficiency. It was during the Progressive Era, a time of major change. Developments in trade and working conflicts were on the rise as well as the demand for services provided by government. All of this change happening so quickly also jumpstarted an increase in corruption and a continuing loss of values among the people. The spoils system, introduced by President Andrew Jackson, was prevalent. Per the spoils system, party loyalists were given administrative jobs regardless of qualifications or training. This combination of things prompted Wilson to question the development of the government in terms of handling these changes so as to maximize efficiency and utilization of resources. He analyzed the then current power regime, found them lacking in skill and corruptible, and offered suggestions to better the system and prevent future corruption. In response to the spoils system, Wilson demanded that there be a separation of politics and administration which he hoped would liken the government to corporations. With ‘The Study of Administration’ (1887), Wilson supplied the first published essay on public administration and established himself as a foremost authority in this field. In this essay, Wilson publicly launched the idea of government as administration.
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States of America, was, some say, the greatest president so far in the history of the United States of America. President Lincoln was truly a great president. People remember him even if they don’t remember any of the other presidents. Lincoln has truly made a huge impact in the daily life of all the citizens even today. Now, I will talk about his childhood, his life before he was president, his life during presidency, and what impact he has had on the life now.
Abraham Lincoln was an important figure who rose from being an uneducated man, to becoming the 16th president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln is also known for his determination towards ending slavery. One of Abraham Lincoln’s political accomplishments was issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Before his presidency, Lincoln was not that knowledgeable about the military because he never really had a proper education when he was small. However, Lincoln’s entire presidency basically took place during the war.
In 1994, President Reagan got Alzheimer’s disease, left public life, and died on June 5, 2004 from pneumonia. Reagan is still looked up to and is considered one of the greatest Presidents of all time.
While Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States, he managed to accomplish some unthinkable feats, such as fighting for the passage of the 19th Amendment and establishing order in the entropic territories such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic by dispatching US Marines in these places. However, due to weak judgement and intuition, as well as inexperience, he made a feeble, manipulatable diplomat. During the Paris Peace Conference and throughout the ratification process for the Treaty of Versailles, Wilson’s ineptitude and stubbornness towards the Republican Party ultimately led the US senate to shoot down the Treaty.