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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives were deeply saddened to learn of the death of
4 former President Gerald R. Ford on December 26, 2006; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Gerald Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska on July
6 14, 1913 and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he joined
7 the Boy Scouts and proudly attained the highest rank of Eagle
8 Scout; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Gerald Ford attended the University of Michigan,
10 where he played as a center and linebacker and helped the
11 Wolverines win national titles in 1932 and 1933; following his
12 graduation with a Bachelor's degree in economics, he turned
13 down offers to play professional football and instead went to
14 Yale, where he was hired as an assistant football coach and
15 boxing coach; he later attended Yale Law School, where he
16 received his law degree; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Gerald Ford set up a law practice in Michigan, but
18 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United
19 States Navy and served aboard an aircraft carrier in the
20 Pacific Theater in World War II; he attained the rank of
21 lieutenant commander and for his naval service he earned the
22 Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal,
23 the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory
24 Medal; and
 
25     WHEREAS, On October 15, 1948 Gerald Ford married Betty
26 Bloomer Warren, who would later serve as First Lady with
27 distinction as a champion of women's rights; the couple raised
28 four children, Michael, John, Steven, and Susan; and
 
29      WHEREAS, In 1948 Gerald Ford defeated an incumbent
30 congressmen in his first political campaign and went on to

 

 

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1 serve 13 terms, for a total of 25 years, as United States
2 Representative for the Grand Rapids area; and
 
3     WHEREAS, As a congressman Gerald Ford was prominent on the
4 Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and used his role on the
5 House Appropriations Committee to curb spending; over time his
6 personality and fair leadership helped him secure the House
7 Minority Leadership position; in 1963 he was appointed to the
8 Warren Commission, assigned to investigate the assassination
9 of former President Kennedy; and
 
10     WHEREAS, In the wake of political turmoil and corruption,
11 Gerald Ford rose to the position of Vice President, and then,
12 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon, Gerald
13 Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States,
14 becoming the only person to serve as both President and Vice
15 President without being elected to those offices; and
 
16     WHEREAS, President Gerald Ford brought the nation together
17 at a challenging time and restored confidence and trust in the
18 White House; he will be long remembered as a leader that served
19 with integrity, honesty, and strong patriotism; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Despite facing a strong Democrat-controlled
21 Congress, President Gerald Ford set definitive goals to
22 maintain a steady economy, scale back the national deficit, and
23 reduce regulations and taxes on businesses; in his tenure he
24 presided over the evacuation of Americans from Vietnam, worked
25 to sustain foreign relations, and was the first President to
26 visit Japan; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Following his presidency, Gerald Ford taught at
28 the University of Michigan, established the Gerald Ford
29 Institute on Public Policy, continued to represent the nation
30 at ceremonial and historical events, served on a number of
31 corporate boards, and devoted time to his love of golf; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, On August 11, 1999, Gerald Ford was awarded the
2 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian
3 award, for his many years of public service and his legacy of
4 healing and hope as president; on May 21, 2001 he was presented
5 the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for placing the
6 country's interests over his own political interests in his
7 decision to pardon Richard Nixon; and
 
8     WHEREAS, On December 26, 2006, former President Gerald R.
9 Ford passed away at his home in California at the age of 93;
10 his family will remember him as a beloved husband, father,
11 grandfather, and great-grandfather, and the world will
12 remember him as a faithful and sincere public servant;
13 therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16 we mourn the loss of former President Gerald R. Ford, and we
17 honor and celebrate his dedication and service to the People of
18 the United States of America; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to the family of former President Ford and to the
21 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Grand Rapids,
22 Michigan.