The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation with author and historian Richard Norton Smith about his latest book “An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford.” In the episode, Stewart McLaurin, president of the Association, welcomes Smith to a special town hall gathering to discuss what Smith uncovered while writing the new biography of Gerald R. Ford.
Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Despite what late night comics at the time would have people believe, Ford was an athlete all his life and was a star player for University of Michigan football. He served bravely in the U.S. Navy during World War II and returned home to Michigan to practice law. He married Elizabeth Bloomer and won a congressional seat in 1948. Ford went on to serve 25 years in Congress, rising to the position of House Minority Leader, before becoming President Richard Nixon’s new vice president. When Ford became the nation’s first “unelected” president after Nixon resigned, Ford acknowledged that he was taking the oath “under extraordinary circumstances.”
The Association’s Official 2023 White House Christmas Ornament commemorates the Ford presidency, featuring decorations inspired by the handcrafted ornaments used in the White House during the Ford administration. The ornament is available for purchase at shop.whitehousehistory.org.
The White House 1600 Sessions is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
About the White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $100 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
