Former President Gerald Ford dies at 93

[NemoRocks78]

Breaking News
Former President Gerald Ford dies at 93
AP - 1 minute ago

LOS ANGELES - Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93

 

[Wilt Dasney]

He had been sick for a long time. With him and Reagan both dying recently, there are only three surviving ex-presidents now.

 

[SpongeScott]

RIP, Gerald Ford. The only president to never be elected by the general public.

 

[sbkline]

I remember hearing just two or three months ago that he had just surpassed Reagan as the longest living ex-President. He's also the one who was president when I was born.

 

[SpongeScott]

He had been sick for a long time. With him and Reagan both dying recently, there are only three surviving ex-presidents now.

This is true. But when Reagan and Ford were alive, wasn't this the most ex-presidents still living at the same time? When did Nixon die?

 

[sbkline]

This is true. But when Reagan and Ford were alive, wasn't this the most ex-presidents still living at the same time? When did Nixon die?

Nixon died in 1994. So, when Clinton was President, you had Nixon,Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush all alive at one time. So that's 5. Whether or not there have ever been 5 ex-Presidents alive at any other point in history, I'm not sure. But I doubt it.

 

[SpongeScott]

Nixon died in 1994. So, when Clinton was President, you had Nixon,Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush all alive at one time. So that's 5. Whether or not there have ever been 5 ex-Presidents alive at any other point in history, I'm not sure. But I doubt it.

While George W has been prez, delete Nixon from the list and add Clinton and you have 5 again.

 

[sbkline]

While George W has been prez, delete Nixon from the list and add Clinton and you have 5 again.

True. I hadn't thought about that. Anyone else know if that had happened any other time prior to these occurences?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

True. I hadn't thought about that. Anyone else know if that had happened any other time prior to these occurences?

No, but I'm curious enough to do some research now. :lookaroun

 

[Wilt Dasney]

No, but I'm curious enough to do some research now. :lookaroun

Aaand I'm back. It looks like 5 is the max, and it happened once before Clinton and W. Bush. Lincoln (16) was president while former presidents Van Buren (8), Tyler (10), Fillmore (13), Pierce (14), and Buchanan (15) were still alive. Van Buren and Tyler both died during Lincoln's term, as well as Lincoln himself, of course.

Another interesting finding: Other than Washington and the first Adams, it looks like 4 men have been president at a time when no previous presidents were still alive -- Grant (18), T. Roosevelt (26), Hoover (31), and Nixon (37).

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Nixon died in 1994. So, when Clinton was President, you had Nixon,Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush all alive at one time.

I remember seeing Ford, Carter, Reagan, the elder Bush, and then-president Clinton all sitting in a row when I watched Nixon's funeral on TV.

 

[palmage]

Pardon me..........

 

[Nemo14]

He was the right man at the right time for the country....

 

[SpongeScott]

He was the right man at the right time for the country....

Exactly. While his pardon of Nixon may have doomed his political fate at the time, it was the right move to make for the good of the entire country.

 

[Nemo14]

I think no one was more surprised than he that he became President of the US....

 

[SpongeScott]

Aaand I'm back. It looks like 5 is the max, and it happened once before Clinton and W. Bush. Lincoln (16) was president while former presidents Van Buren (8), Tyler (10), Fillmore (13), Pierce (14), and Buchanan (15) were still alive. Van Buren and Tyler both died during Lincoln's term, as well as Lincoln himself, of course.

Another interesting finding: Other than Washington and the first Adams, it looks like 4 men have been president at a time when no previous presidents were still alive -- Grant (18), T. Roosevelt (26), Hoover (32), and Nixon (37).

Good catch on Nixon. LBJ died in January of 1973, leaving Nixon as the lone living president until he resigned in August of 1974. Truman died in December of 1972 and Eisenhower in 1969, both during Nixon's tenure.

 

[sbkline]

Another interesting fact I thought of since last night is that in Ford's brief tenure as Prez, two attempts were made on his life. Had one of them been successful, we would have had another Prez and Vice Prez in there who had never been elected.

It's hard to think of what Ford could have managed to do in such a short amount of time to prompt two people to want to shoot him, although I think one of them was a total nutjob anyway.

 

[SpongeScott]

Another interesting fact I thought of since last night is that in Ford's brief tenure as Prez, two attempts were made on his life. Had one of them been successful, we would have had another Prez and Vice Prez in there who had never been elected.

It's hard to think of what Ford could have managed to do in such a short amount of time to prompt two people to want to shoot him, although I think one of them was a total nutjob anyway.

I don't think it was anything he did himself, but was because he was the man in office. I'll yield to BJ (Wilt Dasney) for the answer to this one.

Yes, Nelson Rockerfeller would become our president after him.

 

[Disnut]

Don't forget(for those who live in TX) that he was the Pres. that tried to eat the tamale with the shuck on. I give him credit for trying.

RIP Pres. Gerald Ford.

 

[Tramp]

Rest in Peace, Mr. President.

Thank you for your leadership & integrity during our nation's very troubled hours.