Gerald Ford’s Near Miracle of 1976

By Yanek Mieczkowski | American History  | 2 comments  |  Print This Post  |  Email This Post

During retirement, when asked about his life’s greatest regret, Ford said that it was seeing little playing time until his senior year on the University of Michigan football team. Only after being reminded did he mention losing the 1976 election.

That response spoke volumes about Ford. He kept politics in perspective, never letting it loom too large, placing it behind his great loves, his family and sports. Ford especially showed pride in his family, and in 1976 his four children—Mike, Jack, Steve and Susan—campaigned for him. In later years, though, they expressed some relief that he lost the race, for it represented a trade-off. Steve Ford believed his father “lived probably 10 years longer because he didn’t win, because it takes so much off your life, that second term as president. Selfishly, I’m glad we had him around more as a father.”

Exactly three decades after that loss, Ford set a new record. In November 2006, at 93 years and four months, he became the oldest former president in history, beating the mark set by Ronald Reagan. Just weeks before he died in December, Ford once again had the satisfaction of besting his old rival.

This article was written by Yanek Mieczkowski and originally published in the February 2008 issue of American History Magazine. For more great articles, subscribe to American History magazine today!

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Tags: 20th - 21st Century, American History, Historical Figures, Politics

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