Inauguration of Gerald Ford: Difference between revisions

Presidential inauguration of
Gerald Ford
	Gerald Ford takes the oath of office as the 38th president of the United States
Date	August 9, 1974; 50 years ago
Standort	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
	← 1973 1977 →

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The inauguration of Gerald Ford as the 38th president of the United States was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.,^[1] after President Richard Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. The inauguration – the last non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place in the 20th century – marked the commencement of Gerald Ford's only term (a partial term of 2 years, 164 days) as president. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the oath of office. The Bible upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife, Betty Ford, open to Proverbs 3:5–6.^[2] Ford was the ninth vice president to succeed to the presidency intra-term, and he remains the most recent to do so, as of 2024.

Although this was the ninth, and most recent non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place since the presidency was established in 1789, it was the first to take place due to the president's resignation; the previous eight had been occasioned by the president's death in office. Ford had become vice president only eight months earlier, after Spiro Agnew resigned due to allegations of bribing while serving as Baltimore County Executive and Governor of Maryland. He was the first vice president appointed as such under the terms of the Twenty-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]

Nixon's resignation

The Fords escort the Nixons across the South Lawn of the White House to Army One before Gerald Ford takes the oath of office, August 9, 1974

Nixon displays the V-for-victory sign as he departs the White House after resigning

In a televised speech on August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon, who was facing impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal and alleged cover-up,^[2] announced to the nation, "I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow [August 9]."^[5] At 9:00am the following morning, Nixon gave a farewell speech to an East Room assembly of White House staff and selected dignitaries, including the Cabinet and Vice President Gerald Ford. It was an emotional event, with Nixon nearly breaking down multiple times. When it was finished, Ford escorted Nixon to Marine One, where Nixon waved his trademark "V-for-victory" sign with both hands, and moved on to a flight to his hometown of Yorba Linda, California onboard Air Force One.

Ford's swearing-in

Nixon's resignation was tendered to United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at 11:35 a.m. At that moment, Ford became the 38th president of the United States, although he took the official oath 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 by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in the White House East Room. Chief Justice Burger was traveling in the Netherlands at the time, and was flown back to Washington, D.C., on an Air Force plane.^[6] The first phone call that Ford, a former center on the University of Michigan football team, made after his inauguration was on Saturday, August 10, 1974, to Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes, who had just recently suffered a heart attack.^[7]

Remarks upon swearing-in

Immediately after taking the presidential oath, Ford gave a speech (authored by Counselor to the President Robert 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 ... Our Constitution 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 asked Henry Kissinger to stay on as Secretary of State in the new administration.^[6] Later that day, Ford met with ambassadors of the NATO nations.

References in popular culture

The May 20, 2015, series finale of the Late Show with David Letterman was introduced by archival footage of Ford's speech, and prerecorded cameos of former presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and then-incumbent Barack Obama all saying, "our long national nightmare is over."^[10]^[11]

References

^ Architect of the Capitol (n.d.). "Presidential Oaths of Office". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
^ ^a ^b "SWEARING IN OF GERALD R. FORD". United States Senate. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
^ "Twenty-Fifth Amendment". U.S. Constitution – via FindLaw.
^ United States Congress Joint Committee on Printing (2007). Memorial Services in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of Gerald R. Ford, Late a President of the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 35. ISBN 9780160797620.
^ Nixon, Richard (August 8, 1974). "President Nixon's Resignation Speech". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2017 – via PBS.
^ ^a ^b Cannon, James (1993). Time and Chance: Gerald R. Ford's Appointment with History. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08482-8.
^ "Old Michigan Man Rings Up Woody". The Washington Post. August 23, 1974. p. D3.
^ Dennis Hevesi (April 19, 2008). "Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
^ Ford, Gerald (August 9, 1974). "Swearing-in Ceremony" (PDF). President's Speeches and Statements. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Retrieved February 7, 2013. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.
^ "David Letterman's final Late Show: Recap Here". CBC News. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
^ "David Letterman's Emotional Farewell". CNN Money. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.

External links

[loc-1] Architect of the Capitol (n.d.). "Presidential Oaths of Office". Library of Congress. Retrieved February 7, 2013.

[JCCIC-2] "SWEARING IN OF GERALD R. FORD". United States Senate. Retrieved June 15, 2021.

[3] "Twenty-Fifth Amendment". U.S. Constitution – via FindLaw.

[4] United States Congress Joint Committee on Printing (2007). Memorial Services in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of Gerald R. Ford, Late a President of the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 35. ISBN 9780160797620.

[NixonResignationSpeech-5] Nixon, Richard (August 8, 1974). "President Nixon's Resignation Speech". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2017 – via PBS.

[Cannon-6] Cannon, James (1993). Time and Chance: Gerald R. Ford's Appointment with History. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08482-8.

[7] "Old Michigan Man Rings Up Woody". The Washington Post. August 23, 1974. p. D3.

[8] Dennis Hevesi (April 19, 2008). "Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2016.

[speech-9] Ford, Gerald (August 9, 1974). "Swearing-in Ceremony" (PDF). President's Speeches and Statements. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Retrieved February 7, 2013. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.

[10] "David Letterman's final Late Show: Recap Here". CBC News. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.

[11] "David Letterman's Emotional Farewell". CNN Money. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|9th United States intra-term presidential inauguration}}
+{{Short description|9th United States intra-term presidential inauguration}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}
 {{Infobox historical event
   |Event_Name     = Presidential inauguration of<br>Gerald Ford
   |Image_Name     = Ford sworn-in.jpg
-  |Image_Caption  = The swearing in of President Gerald Ford by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger
+  |Image_Caption  = Gerald Ford takes the [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|oath of office]] as the 38th [[president of the United States]]
-| participants  = [[Gerald Ford]]<br />38th President of the United States<br />''— Assuming office''<br /><hr>[[Warren E. Burger]]<br />[[Chief Justice of the United States]]<br />''— Administering oath''
+| participants  = [[Gerald Ford]]<br />38th president of the United States<br />''— Assuming office''<br /><hr>[[Warren E. Burger]]<br />[[Chief Justice of the United States]]<br />''— Administering oath''
   |Location       = [[East Room]], [[White House]],<br />[[Washington, D.C.]]
   |Date           = {{Start date and age|1974|08|09}}
-  | notes        = {{left|← [[Second inauguration of Richard Nixon|1973]]}} {{right|[[Inauguration of Jimmy Carter|1977]] →}}
+  | notes        = {{Succession links|left=[[Second inauguration of Richard Nixon|1973]]|right=[[Inauguration of Jimmy Carter|1977]]}}
 }}
-The '''inauguration of Gerald Ford''' as the [[List of presidents of the United States|38th]] [[President of the United States]] was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in the [[East Room]] of the [[White House]] in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref name=loc>{{cite web |author = [[Architect of the Capitol]] |date = n.d. |title = Presidential Oaths of Office |url = http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html |publisher = [[Library of Congress]] |access-date = February 7, 2013 }}</ref> after [[Richard Nixon]], the 37th President, resigned due to the [[Watergate scandal]]. The [[United States presidential inauguration|inauguration]] – the last non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place in the 20th century – marked the commencement of [[Gerald Ford]]'s only term (a partial term of {{age in years and days|1974|8|9|1977|1|20}}) as President. [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Warren E. Burger]] administered the [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|oath of office]]. The [[Bible]] upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife, [[Betty Ford]], open to Proverbs 3:5–6.<ref name="JCCIC">{{cite web|url=http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-inaugural-ceremonies/swearing-in-of-vice-president-gerald-r-ford-after-the-resignation-of-president-richard-m-nixon/|title=The swearing in of Gerald R. Ford, August 09, 1974|publisher=United States Senate|access-date=April 9, 2020}}</ref> Ford was the ninth [[Vice President of the United States]] to succeed to the presidency intra-term, and he remains the most recent to do so.
+The [[United States presidential inauguration|inauguration]] of [[Gerald Ford]] as the [[List of presidents of the United States|38th]] [[president of the United States]] was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in the [[East Room]] of the [[White House]] in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref name=loc>{{cite web |author = Architect of the Capitol |author-link = Architect of the Capitol |date = n.d. |title = Presidential Oaths of Office |url = http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html |publisher = [[Library of Congress]] |access-date = February 7, 2013 }}</ref> after President [[Richard Nixon]] resigned due to the [[Watergate scandal]]. The inauguration – the last non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place in the 20th century – marked the commencement of [[Gerald Ford]]'s only term (a partial term of {{age in years and days|1974|8|9|1977|1|20}}) as president. [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Warren E. Burger]] administered the [[Oath of office of the president of the United States|oath of office]]. The [[Bible]] upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife, [[Betty Ford]], open to Proverbs 3:5–6.<ref name="JCCIC">{{cite web|url=https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in-of-ford/|title=SWEARING IN OF GERALD R. FORD|publisher=United States Senate|access-date=June 15, 2021}}</ref> Ford was the ninth [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] to [[United States presidential line of succession|succeed to the presidency intra-term]], and he remains the most recent to do so, as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
-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 the president's resignation; the previous eight had been occasioned by the president's [[death in office]]. Ford had become vice president only eight months earlier, after [[Spiro Agnew]] resigned due to bribery allegations while serving as [[Governor of Maryland]]. He was the first vice president appointed as such under the terms of the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-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.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment25/ |via = FindLaw |work = U.S. Constitution |title = Twenty-Fifth Amendment }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author = United States Congress Joint Committee on Printing |title = Memorial Services in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of Gerald R. Ford, Late a President of the United States |year = 2007 |publisher = Government Printing Office |isbn = 9780160797620 |page = 35 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0tfxUriBb0MC&pg=PA35 }}</ref>
+Although this was the ninth, and most recent non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place since the presidency was established in 1789, it was the first to take place due to the president's resignation; the previous eight had been occasioned by the president's [[death in office]]. Ford had become vice president only eight months earlier, after [[Spiro Agnew]] resigned due to allegations of bribing while serving as [[Baltimore County Executive]] and [[Governor of Maryland]]. He was the first vice president appointed as such under the terms of the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-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.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment25/ |via = FindLaw |work = U.S. Constitution |title = Twenty-Fifth Amendment }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author = United States Congress Joint Committee on Printing |title = Memorial Services in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of Gerald R. Ford, Late a President of the United States |year = 2007 |publisher = Government Printing Office |isbn = 9780160797620 |page = 35 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0tfxUriBb0MC&pg=PA35 }}</ref>
-==Nixon's farewell==
+==Nixon's resignation==
+{{see|Richard Nixon's resignation speech}}
 [[Image:NIXONSandFORDS.jpg|thumb|right|The Fords escort the Nixons across the South Lawn of the White House to [[Army One]] before [[Gerald Ford]] takes the [[oath of office]], August 9, 1974]]
 [[Image:Nixon-depart.png|thumb|right|Nixon displays the [[V sign|V-for-victory sign]] as he departs the White House after resigning]]
-In a televised [[Oval Office]] [[Richard Nixon's resignation speech|speech]] on August 8, 1974, [[Presidency of Richard Nixon|President Richard Nixon]], who was facing [[Impeachment process against Richard Nixon|impeachment proceedings]] for his role in the [[Watergate scandal]] and alleged cover-up,<ref name="JCCIC"/> announced to the nation, "I shall resign the [[President of the United States|presidency]] effective at noon tomorrow [August 9]."<ref name=NixonResignationSpeech>{{cite web |last = Nixon |first = Richard |url = https://www.pbs.org/newshour/character/links/nixon_speech.html |title = President Nixon's Resignation Speech |date = August 8, 1974 |via = [[PBS]] }}</ref> At 9:00 the following morning, Nixon gave a farewell talk to an [[East Room]] assembly of White House staff and selected dignitaries, including the [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] and Vice President Ford. It was an emotional event, with President Nixon nearly breaking down multiple times. When it was finished, Vice President Ford escorted the President and [[Pat Nixon|First Lady]] to an Army helicopter, where the President waved his famous "V-sign" before flying off to [[Air Force One]] and a flight to "exile" in California. The [[nuclear football|nuclear codes]] were left with Ford.
+In a televised speech on August 8, 1974, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon]], who was facing [[Impeachment process against Richard Nixon|impeachment]] for his role in the [[Watergate scandal]] and alleged cover-up,<ref name="JCCIC"/> announced to the nation, "I shall resign the [[President of the United States|presidency]] effective at noon tomorrow [August 9]."<ref name=NixonResignationSpeech>{{cite web |last = Nixon |first = Richard |url = https://www.pbs.org/newshour/character/links/nixon_speech.html |title = President Nixon's Resignation Speech |date = August 8, 1974 |via = [[PBS]] |access-date = September 1, 2017 |archive-date = July 18, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718133421/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/character/links/nixon_speech.html |url-status = dead }}</ref> At 9:00am the following morning, Nixon gave a farewell speech to an [[East Room]] assembly of White House staff and selected dignitaries, including the [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] and Vice President [[Gerald Ford]]. It was an emotional event, with Nixon nearly breaking down multiple times. When it was finished, Ford escorted Nixon to [[Marine One]], where Nixon waved his trademark "V-for-victory" sign with both hands, and moved on to a flight to his hometown of [[Yorba Linda, California]] onboard [[Air Force One]].
 ==Ford's swearing-in==
-Nixon's resignation was tendered to [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Henry Kissinger]] at 11:35&nbsp;a.m. At that moment, Ford became the 38th President of the United States, although he took the official [[oath of office]] at 12:05&nbsp;p.m. Once the former President (and now private citizen)  Nixon left the building, the White House staff began preparations for Ford's swearing-in. More chairs were added for the much larger crowd of invited guests than was at the farewell. The oath was administered to Ford by [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Warren E. Burger]] in the [[White House]] [[East Room]]. Chief Justice Burger was traveling in [[the Netherlands]] at the time, and was flown back to [[Washington, D.C.]], on an Air Force plane.<ref name=Cannon /> The first phone call that President Ford, a former center on the [[Michigan Wolverines football|University of Michigan football]] team, made after his inauguration was on Saturday, August 10, 1974, to [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State University football]] coach [[Woody Hayes]], who had just recently suffered a heart attack.<ref>{{cite news |title = Old Michigan Man Rings Up Woody |work = [[The Washington Post]] |date = August 23, 1974 |page = D3 }}</ref>
+Nixon's resignation was tendered to [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Henry Kissinger]] at 11:35&nbsp;a.m. At that moment, Ford became the 38th president of the United States, although he took the official [[oath of office]] at 12:05&nbsp;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 by [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Warren E. Burger]] in the [[White House]] [[East Room]]. Chief Justice Burger was traveling in [[the Netherlands]] at the time, and was flown back to [[Washington, D.C.]], on an Air Force plane.<ref name=Cannon /> The first phone call that Ford, a former center on the [[Michigan Wolverines football|University of Michigan football]] team, made after his inauguration was on Saturday, August 10, 1974, to [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State University football]] coach [[Woody Hayes]], who had just recently suffered a heart attack.<ref>{{cite news |title = Old Michigan Man Rings Up Woody |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date = August 23, 1974 |page = D3 }}</ref>
 ==Remarks upon swearing-in==
-Immediately after taking the [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|presidential oath]], Ford gave a speech (authored by [[Counselor to the President]] [[Robert T. Hartmann]])<ref>{{cite news|author=Dennis Hevesi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/us/politics/19hartmann.html?_r=0 |title=Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 19, 2008 |accessdate=November 14, 2016}}</ref> alluding in his remarks to the unique and [[Watergate scandal|"extraordinary circumstances"]] that led to his ascension to the presidency:
+Immediately after taking the [[Oath of office of the president of the United States|presidential oath]], Ford gave a speech (authored by [[Counselor to the President]] [[Robert T. Hartmann]])<ref>{{cite news|author=Dennis Hevesi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/us/politics/19hartmann.html?_r=0 |title=Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 19, 2008 |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> alluding in his remarks to the unique and [[Watergate scandal|"extraordinary circumstances"]] that led to his ascension to the presidency:
-{{quote|text=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&nbsp;... 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 Ford|Betty]]—as I begin this very difficult job&nbsp;... My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over&nbsp;... Our [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]] 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.|sign=[[Gerald Ford]]|source=Swearing-in Ceremony speech<ref name=speech>{{cite web |last = Ford |first = Gerald |date = August 9, 1974 |title = Swearing-in Ceremony |work = President's Speeches and Statements |url = http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0122/1252055.pdf |publisher = [[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library]] |accessdate = February 7, 2013 }}{{US government sources}}</ref>}}
+{{quote|text=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&nbsp;... 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 Ford|Betty]]—as I begin this very difficult job&nbsp;... My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over&nbsp;... Our [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]] 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.|sign=[[Gerald Ford]]|source=Swearing-in Ceremony speech<ref name=speech>{{cite web |last = Ford |first = Gerald |date = August 9, 1974 |title = Swearing-in Ceremony |work = President's Speeches and Statements |url = http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0122/1252055.pdf |publisher = [[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library]] |access-date = February 7, 2013 }}{{US government sources}}</ref>}}
 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.
@@ Line 33: / Line 34: @@
 ==References in popular culture==
-On January 17, 2001, ''[[The Onion]]'' ran a headline regarding then-president elect [[George W. Bush]]: "Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare of Peace and Prosperity Is Finally Over.'"<ref>{{cite news |title = Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over' |url = http://www.theonion.com/article/bush-our-long-national-nightmare-of-peace-and-pros-464 |accessdate = September 1, 2017 |publisher = [[The Onion]] |date = January 17, 2001 }}</ref>
-The May 20, 2015, [[series finale]] of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' was introduced by archival footage of Ford's speech, and prerecorded cameos of former Presidents [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], George W. Bush, and then-incumbent [[Barack Obama]] all saying, "our long national nightmare is over."<ref>{{cite news |title = David Letterman's final Late Show: Recap Here |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/david-letterman-s-final-late-show-recap-here-1.3081539 |accessdate = May 21, 2015 |publisher = [[CBC News]] |date = May 21, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = David Letterman's Emotional Farewell |url = https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/20/media/david-letterman-goodbye-late-show/ |accessdate = May 21, 2015 |work = [[CNN Money]] |date = May 21, 2015 }}</ref>
+The May 20, 2015, [[series finale]] of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' was introduced by archival footage of Ford's speech, and prerecorded cameos of former presidents [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], [[George W. Bush]], and then-incumbent [[Barack Obama]] all saying, "our long national nightmare is over."<ref>{{cite news |title = David Letterman's final Late Show: Recap Here |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/david-letterman-s-final-late-show-recap-here-1.3081539 |access-date = May 21, 2015 |publisher = [[CBC News]] |date = May 21, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = David Letterman's Emotional Farewell |url = https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/20/media/david-letterman-goodbye-late-show/ |access-date = May 21, 2015 |work = [[CNN Money]] |date = May 21, 2015 }}</ref>
 ==See also==
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-<references/>
 ==External links==
 {{wikisource|Gerald Ford's assumption of the Presidency}}
-*{{YouTube|id=H5qExW0HFCI|title=Gerald Ford Inauguration (with audio)
+*{{YouTube|id=H5qExW0HFCI|title=Gerald Ford Inauguration (with audio)}}
-*[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=4409 Text of Remarks from Gerald Ford after taking the oath of office]
+*[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=4409 Text of Remarks from Gerald Ford after taking the oath of office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708030944/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=4409 |date=July 8, 2018 }}
 *[http://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-9-1974-remarks-taking-oath-office Audio of Ford's Remarks from Gerald Ford after taking the oath of office]
-{{Gerald Ford}}
+{{Presidency of Gerald Ford}}
 {{US inaugurations}}

v t e Presidency of Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
Timeline	Inauguration VP confirmation of Nelson Rockefeller Wilson desk Assassination attempts Sacramento San Francisco 1975 SOTU Address 1976 SOTU Address 1977 SOTU Address Judicial appointments Supreme Court candidates controversies Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations Nixon pardon Halloween Massacre Carter transition
Foreign policy	International trips Vladivostok Summit Meeting on Arms Control Helsinki Accords National Security Study Memorandum 200 Executive Order 11905 Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
Domestic policy	Cannabis policy Equal Credit Opportunity Act Education for All Handicapped Children Act Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974 and 1976 Federal Election Commission Rockefeller Commission 1975 VRA Amendments Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act
Economic policy	Fair Credit Billing Act Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974 Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula National Mass Transportation Assistance Act CFTC Act of 1974 Commodity Futures Trading Commission Home Mortgage Disclosure Act ERISA Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Net capital rule NRSROs Trade Act of 1974 Fast track authority Securities Acts Amendments of 1975 Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board National Market System Tax Reduction Act of 1975 Tax Reform Act of 1976 Whip Inflation Now
Energy policy	Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 Energy Research and Development Administration Nuclear Regulatory Commission Energy Policy and Conservation Act CAFE standards Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Environmental policy	Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 Forestry Incentive Program Hazardous Materials Transportation Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum contaminant level Magnuson–Stevens Act Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 Water Resources Development Act of 1976
← Nixon administration Carter administration →

v t e United States presidential inaugurations
18th century	Washington (1789) Washington (1793) J. Adams (1797)
19th century	Jefferson (1801) Jefferson (1805) Madison (1809) Madison (1813) Monroe (1817) Monroe (1821) J. Q. Adams (1825) Jackson (1829) Jackson (1833) Van Buren (1837) W. H. Harrison (1841) Tyler (1841)* Polk (1845) Taylor (1849) Fillmore (1850)* Pierce (1853) Buchanan (1857) Lincoln (1861) Lincoln (1865) A. Johnson (1865)* Grant (1869) Grant (1873) Hayes (1877) Garfield (1881) Arthur (1881)* Cleveland (1885) B. Harrison (1889) Cleveland (1893) McKinley (1897)
20th century	McKinley (1901) T. Roosevelt (1901)* T. Roosevelt (1905) Taft (1909) Wilson (1913) Wilson (1917) Harding (1921) Coolidge (1923)* Coolidge (1925) Hoover (1929) F. D. Roosevelt (1933) F. D. Roosevelt (1937) F. D. Roosevelt (1941) F. D. Roosevelt (1945) Truman (1945)* Truman (1949) Eisenhower (1953) Eisenhower (1957) Kennedy (1961) L. B. Johnson (1963)* L. B. Johnson (1965) Nixon (1969) Nixon (1973) Ford (1974)* Carter (1977) Reagan (1981) Reagan (1985) G. H. W. Bush (1989) Clinton (1993) Clinton (1997)
21st century	G. W. Bush (2001) G. W. Bush (2005) Obama (2009) Obama (2013) Trump (2017) Biden (2021) TBD (2025)
*Intra-term inaugurations