LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Gerald Ford: White House
built 223 days ago
From the outset of his House career Gerald Ford displayed the qualities - and enjoyed the kind of help from others - which led to his rise to power in the lower house. His loyal adherence to the party line and cultivation of good will in his personal relations was soon rewarded with a seat on the prestigious Appropriations Committee. When Dwight Eisenhower gained the White House in 1952, Ford again found himself in an advantageous position since he had been one of 18 Republican congressmen who had initially written Eisenhower to urge him to seek the nomination.
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"Throughout his more than three decades of public service, Gerald Ford gave so much to this Nation," said Potter before an audience of nearly 200, including many who had served with President Ford during his congressional and White House years. "This stamp personifies his strong character as a courageous and principled leader who successfully healed the nation at a critical time in our history."
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Ford believed he was particularly hampered by Congress in foreign affairs. Having passed the War Powers Resolution in late 1973, the legislative branch first investigated, and then tried to impose restrictions on, the actions of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In the area of war powers, Ford clearly bested his congressional adversaries. In the Mayaquez incident of May 1975 (involving the seizure of a U.S.-registered ship of that name by Cambodia), Ford retaliated with aerial attacks and a 175-marine assault without engaging the formal mechanisms required by the 1973 resolution. Although the actual success of this commando operation was debatable (39 crew members and the ship rescued, at a total cost of 41 other American lives), American honor had been vindicated and Ford's approval ratings rose sharply. Having succeeded in defying its provisions, Ford continued to speak out against the War Powers Resolution as unconstitutional even after he left the White House.
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On January 20, 1977, President and Mrs. Ford moved to California where they built a new house in Rancho Mirage. They continue to vacation at their home outside Vail, Colorado, where Ford enjoys skiing and golf. President Ford's memoirs, A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford, were published in 1979. President Ford is active on behalf of Republican Party and charitable causes, serves on corporate boards, and speaks frequently before a variety of audiences. He is supportive of the Library and Museum that bear his name, taking part in symposia, conferences, and other special events.
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Ford joined the Boy Scouts of America, and attained that program's highest rank, Eagle Scout. He always regarded this as one of his proudest accomplishments, even after attaining the White House. In subsequent years, Ford received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in May 1970 and Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He is the only US president who was an Eagle Scout. Scouting was so important to Ford that his family asked that Scouts participate in his funeral. About 400 Eagle Scouts were part of the funeral procession, where they formed an honor guard as the casket went by in front of the museum, and served as ushers.
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Ford was now ideally positioned to begin the political career which had always interested him. His stepfather was the Republican county chairman in 1944, which was certainly an advantage for Ford. A staunch admirer of Grand Rapids' conservative-but-internationalist senator Arthur Vandenberg, young Ford re-established himself in law practice and took on the Fifth District's isolationist congressman, Bartel Jonkman, in the 1948 primary for a seat in the House of Representatives. He won with 62 percent of the primary vote and repeated that generous margin of victory against his Democratic foe in the general election.
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