Gerald Ford had a Golden Retriever & Siamese Cat
By: Tippy & Alfred
Gerald Ford Jr. was the thirty-eighth President of the
United States from 1974 to 1977. He also served as Vice
President from 1973 to 1974. He was appointed Vice President
according to the twenty-fifth amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, when then Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned
in disgrace. He was the first Vice President to whom that
amendment applied, and then when President Nixon resigned in
August of 1974, Gerald Ford succeeded him and became
President, again without going through an election.
Before becoming Vice President Gerald Ford served as the
leader of the Republican minority of the House of
Representatives. He was elected to Congress from the Fifth
District in Michigan.
President Ford is famous for signing into legislation the
Helsinki Accords which made moves to bring the Cold War with
USSR to a stalemate. Unfortunately President Ford inherited
the mess of the previous administration, and the country did
not fare well under his years as president. The United
States suffered inflation and recession during his term.
The beginning of the Vietnam War was also started, with
North Vietnam invading South Vietnam during President Ford's
term. President Ford did offer asylum to South Vietnam's
officials.
The most controversial decision that President Ford ever
made was when he pardoned former President Nixon for his
role in the Watergate scandal.
President Gerald Ford brought with him to the White House
his dog Liberty. She was a Golden Retriever that had pups in
the White House. Out of the litter of eight the Fords kept
one of the puppies and named her Misty. Daughter Susan also
had a Siamese cat named Shan.
Golden Retriever dogs are known for their loving natures and
obedience. They were originally bred to retrieve water fowl
or upland game after their owner shot it. For this reason
they have soft mouths and love the water. But they are very
versatile and you can see them as narcotics dogs, guide
dogs, search and rescue and as hunting dogs.
The Siamese cat is known for its personality. Their origins
are unknown but it is suspected that they are from South-
East Asia, and are believed to have descended from the
temple cats of Siam in Thailand. Siamese cats are talkative,
temperamental, people-oriented and long lived and many have
lived to be over 20 years old.
Gerald Ford recently died at the age of Ninety-Three in the
year 2006. He died surrounded by his wife and his four
children. His funeral was attended by President
George Bush
and many other dignitaries. As of November 12, 2006,
President Ford was officially the longest-lived President.
He surpassed Ronald Reagan as the longest lived President by
forty-five days.
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