Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

These postcards were from my visit to Michigan last fall to visit family. This was my first and only time (so far) to a Presidential Museum. 

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum was dedicated in 1981 and occupies six acres along the West Bank of the Grand River. The 300 foot glass wall provides a panoramic view of the Grand Rapids skyline. 

President and Mrs. Ford, pictured here in 1992, the year Mr. Ford celebrated his 80th birthday, Mrs. Ford marked her 75th birthday, and they both observed their 45th wedding anniversary. 

Man in Space. The 3,000-pound sculpture known as “Man in Space” was crafted by New York Artist Judson Nelson and installed at the Gerald Ford Museum in 1984. Nelson crafted the lifelikefigure depict weightlessness in space. 

Statue of Gerald R. Ford by J. Brett Grill. This statue was placed in the United States Capitol Rotinda on May 3, 2011. A second casting was installed in front of the Museum two months later. 

The official photograph of Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States. Gerald Ford attained the office of president following the resignation of Richard Nixon and served from August 9, 1974 until January 20, 1977. 

 

First Lady Betty Ford in the Treaty Room of the White House, wearing a gown designed by Frankie Welch, October 6, 1975. 

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum was dedicated in 1981. A learning center was added in 2016. The grounds include perennial gardens and a reflecting pool. 

The tombs of President and Mrs. Ford are located on the grounds of his Presidential Museum. The gravesite was part of the museum’s original design. 

First Lady Betty Ford set new standards of White House candor and courage. By frankly discussing her breast cancer, she alerted millions of women to the need for early detection and treatment of this dreaded disease. Since leaving Washington in 1977, Mrs. Ford has gained new respect for her successful fight against alcohol and drug dependency, and for the pioneering California institution that bears her name. 

Gerald Ford Presidential Museum is located on the scenic Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was built in 1981 and extensively remolded in 2016. The DeVos Learning Center was added in 2016.