WASHINGTON (WOOD) — Only one U.S. president grew up Michigan, and Wednesday marks 43 years since he took the oath of office.
On Aug. 9, 1974, Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States, after President Richard Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal.
Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but his parents split shortly after his birth, and his mother took him to Grand Rapids to live with her parents, according to the Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
“…our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works,” he said during the ceremony.
Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president, who was confirmed by Congress on Dec. 19, 1974, despite opposition from many conservatives.
Ford held office until Democrat Jimmy Carter beat him in the November 1976 election.