Us on facebook at the spent history cspan history. History tv is joining our Cable Partners to showcase the history of grand rapids, michigan. To learn more about the cities on the tour, visit cspan. Org cities to work. We continue to look at the history of grand rapids. We are at the Gerald R FordResidential Museum in grand rapids, michigan. He is beginning his professional career. It is not clear even to him, because at the same time that he is establishing hislop rectus he is applying to become a field agent for the f ei. He wants to be a gman. He is writing letters and toward the end of 1941, trying to figure out what the status of his application is. Himself, along with america, caught up with world affairs, when the japanese bond pearl harbor. There after he shifts his attention to the navy. He wants to become a naval officer area he sends in his application to be commissioned as an officer in the navy but april 1942 and he joins the navy. Annapolis down to cap where he goes through an officer Training Program then in North Carolina as an athletic officer training pilots in physical activity. He grows bored with that quickly. Almost as quickly as he is down there, he is writing letters to people he knows in washington dc , he is fortunate to find a person who can help them. He gets assigned to an Aircraft Carrier that is being built. The u. S. Monterey or monterey. Ford is responsible for putting the sailors through calisthenics. He is the athletic officer aboard this it. Officerso the gunnery grade he has a responsibility for gun crews on the aft end of the ship. They get to the pacific in late 1943 and almost immediately are thrown into action against the gilbert islands. He will be involved in action against the japanese in the gilberts and the marshall islands, along the philippine coast. The ship will earn eight house stars. Battle opportunity arises for him to become the assist did assistant navigator. He has earned a reputation as a valid officer and he is given that responsibility by the captain. Which means that he moves from the fan tail of the ship up to the command bridge of the ship. His general order station is now on the ships tower on the command ridge as the officer of the deck, he stands alongside the captain and navigator of the ship. In his own words now in the center of the action. Combatds as much time in in the pacific with this ship as any other world war ii president we have. ,e earns eight battle stars they are in a number of supporting, they are mc arthurs landing in the philippines, it is during that activity in december of 1944 where he comes close to losing his life. Ship is caught up in a typhoon and he is almost washed overboard. He is able to recover himself by the thinnest of means, his foot catches a rail along the side as he is sliding on the deck. He is able to throw himself onto a catwalk and then together himself and make his way to his general orders station. As the ship is burning it has to return to the port to fix the damage. 1944, he is day, detached from the ship and is sent to the states where he becomes an athletic officer training pilots in chicago in the Naval Training center north of chicago. Isis there that he end us naval career. He returns to grand rapids at that point and picks up his or her personal career there. He is involved in a number of civic activities. His name is well known in grand rapids. His father is involved in the ,epublican party, he then having been bitten by the political love long ago having worked in wendell wilkies 1940 cap name, turns his attention to politics. He joins a long term that gets him gives him permission to pursue his political interest. This involves challenging the is ang congressman, who isolationist. Gerald ford has left his isolationism behind with the war. He has become an international is. It will be this that is the separating point between him and the other candidate. Ford, not wanting to draw attention to himself what being ambitious, approaches Civic Leaders and asks them about challenging him. Interested,as not but if youre interested we would probably support you. Or even as he is trying to enlist other people to do the job that he wants. With their support and with the support of the grand rapids press, he throws his hat into menring, challenges young as gerald ford is campaigning for congress in 1948, he met a woman by the name of betty blumer warren. He has become interested and they become an item. She was an native of grand rappers or she grew up in an upper middle class home, attended central high school. She was born in 1918. She knew gerald ford, the High School Star athlete growing up but she never met him before. They did not need each other until 1947. They were introduced at a party. She was working as a fashion for a Department Store, one of the Big Department stores in downtown grand rapids. She started there as a model. She modeled dresses in the tea room and young women would model dresses for the older women. She was one of those models and she studied in vermont and new dance. R modern she came back to grand rapids, married a salesman by the name in 1947,arren and shes in the midst of securing a divorce from mr. Warren. She is introduced to gerald ford and jerry is quite interested. That evening after the party he calls her up and invites her out for a drink. Shes angry because she is campaign for ad her Department Store so she has work to do. Also she said you should know better to call me up because i am in the middle of a divorce. He said dont worry about it, i know a place that is out of the way and we can go and have ride the drink. He persuades her to do that. Then they become something of an item. And betty are married in october, 1948. It was an announcement that was put off for a while because he was running for congress. He didnt want to get married until october because he wanted to handle the primary. He wins the election and they are off to establish a home in washington. By 1950, they had their first outcome of michael then jack and 1957, susan 19 arrives. By 1957 they have four children at home as ford is moving up in the leadership ranks with increasing responsibility on Capitol Hill Area the kids recall that when their dad was home, that he set the briefcase aside and he was a father for them. He took them fishing, teaches the boys how to use the lawnmower and do things around the house, takes Family Vacations with them. And go on skiing trips, back to grand rapids, they have the grandparents there in washington on occasion. In many respects, it is a typical middleclass experience, expects that their dad increasingly has building responsibilities on capitol hill. This is his congressional desk from early in his career. The items on top of that are original to his Congressional Office, the desk was a congressional desk he used in his grand rapids office. As the onethe same he would use in his Congressional Office and washington dc. Gerald ford as a congressman enters congress in 1949, launching on his new career. His ambition became not for the presidency, but he wanted to become the speaker of the house. An office he never was never able to attain. He has a fascinating career. 25 years in Congress Beginning america. N postwar some of those critical moments of postwar america he is right there at the cutting edge of them. He is introduced to president truman, he is on the public works committee. He oversees the maintenance of federal buildings. One of those buildings is the white house. The white house is crumbling around president tumor truman. So ford oversees a lot of the construction around the white house. He is also trying to build a cold war strategy. That, ford is involved in in this internationalist congressman from grand rapids gains an important seat on the appropriations committee. He oversees the armys budget. In the cold war strategy as he travels from base to base, looking at american your and around southeast asia. He was a republican on capitol hill. He is engaged in parts of the struggle. He is interested in republican holocene is. Policies. You have to find a way to Work Together and ford earned a reputation as somebody who could work with both sides of the aisle. There were times when he challenged his republican leadership, and there were times when he told democrats into what were republican issues, to further legislation on the hill. Politicssued partisan in a leadership position as reading able to work with others in the democrat party. Head in 1964. Ur following the assassination of president kennedy. President johnson pulled together a commission to investigate the assassination of president kennedy which would take the name of the war in commission. Lyndon johnson reached into the congressional pull and pluck to members of congress to sit on the commission. Two members of the house of representatives. One was gerald ford. He had thatse reputation of being able to Work Together with people of differing ideas, to reach reasonable conclusions. He was one of the seven warren commissioners. After he completes that he and another man by the name of jack stiles worked on a book called a portrait of the assassin. Firmly in the commissions finding at least Harvey Oswald had acted alone as the loan gunman. There was no evidence that was brought to the commission that would refute the finding. He remains open to other evidence that might prove otherwise that might counter that opinion. During his lifetime he never saw could show that it was lee Harvey Oswald alone who acted as the assassin of resident kennedy. He is earning his reputation through hard work, not a piece of legislation that he is known for. He is known for being able to move legislation, to craft the coalitions necessary to get legislation passed. Its that reputation that moves him forward in con stations conversations about leadership. He announced a campaign against and by a narrow margin can defeat him and become the minority leaders self. He wants to become a majority party. In 1966, he makes strides in doing that on capitol hill. To gain ar able majority of republicans on capitol hill. He is locked in the minority position, the republicans cannot find a way to build a National Majority position on capitol hill that would have secured for become mpression to his ambition to become speaker of the house. Richard nixons election, he is selected spirit avenue as his running mate. In aare reelected in 1972 landslide election. It barely moves the needle for the republicans on capitol hill. Ford after the election decides he is going to run one more time retire from he will congress. History intervenes with that. Agnew has to step down as Vice President because of malfeasance in office as governor of maryland. , contractme bribes issues, obstruction of justice for things not related at all to watergate. Agnew has to step down. Nixon is able, through the provisions of the 32nd amendment to nominate somebody to replace spiro agnew but requires confirmation of both the senate and the house of representatives. Gerald ford is a natural selection. He is not nixons first choice, but he is a solid choice for Richard Nixon. Gerald ford, because of his coalition and reputation on capitol hill is an easy selection. Carl albert tells Richard Nixon, i can get you jerry ford. Nixon makes that choice and ford goes through an extended investigation background information. There ise is selected, this whirlwind of controversy surrounding Richard Nixon and over the matter of watergate. Nefarious activities that have taken place during the 1972 election and before involving secret tapes, bucking opposition offices, and a number of other issues that many people believed the president himself have been involved in. What nixon was involved in was obstructing the investigation into it. Investigated. Ing there are a number who believe they are not choosing the next vice resident but the next president of the united states. President next and nominates gerald ford to full the vacancy for vice residency. Over 400 fbi agents spread out to investigate congressman ford. He passes the investigation, the results are handed to congress. Congress schedules of vote on his nomination. This is the card that speaker of the house carl albert hands to jerry ford, noting the house of work, voting ends 35 opposing. There was another vote that was held in the senate and only three senators voted against his nomination. Congressman ford in december 1973 is sworn in as Vice President. This is the bible with which he is sworn in. He he has it open to his favorite passage, the passage that he and betty had leaned on most of their lives. Trust in the heart trust in the lord with all your heart and he shall direct your paths. He will have the bible open to the same passage when he is sworn in as president. Know is the controversy is swirling around nixon andx and and his responsibility is to forward nixons agenda and promote his policies abroad. He spends the entirety of this on the road traveling, away from washington, promoting that message and camp meeting for nixons agenda. We covered for galleries in the museum dealing with his early ,ife, his collegiate career maybe in congress the remainder of the museum is dedicated to his presidency and his postpresidency. I hope the visitors are able to take away from here what a unite time it was and what a unique man ford was and how he was able to say take the challenge. He never aspired to become president. Events andhis life people he encountered prepared him for the burden that he was asked to bear in august, 1974 when he became president , an office he never campaigned for, never aspired to but one which was handed and interested to him by those who knew him closest, most on capital hill. How heble to appreciate rose to handle the responsibilities. This weekend we are featuring the history of grand rapids, michigan together with our Cable Partners. Learn more about grand rapids and other cities on the citys tour. Youre watching American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. The Smithsonian Museum of african American History opens to the public saturday, september 20, remarks by founding director and secretary david scorch and inside the new Oprah Winfrey theater. We will be locked from the museum on sat this museum explores our National Identity through a particular lens reflecting the Life Experiences over time of africanamericans. Illustrateds through artifacts and works of art, the voices and writings, through courage and determination, through innovation and leadership, comprised of eloquent and powerful narrative. Central to our National Identity. The idea to establish an institution devoted to wascanAmerican History first suggested by black civil war veterans a century ago. Herbert hoover proposed commemorating their contributions to history and science. It has to await the 21st century before planes actually took shape. In 2003, Congress Passed legislation to make the museum a reality as part of these missoni and family. We are grateful to president obama and congress for providing ongoing support and establishing the museums counsel, which has offered guidance and encouragement over the months and years it took to get to this day. This plan comes at a significant type history for the smithsonian, and for our country. Advanceenable us to james smiths democratic mandate to increase the diffusion of knowledge, a more eloquent and farreaching ways that our founding benefactor could ever have imagined. Uniquelysonian is a American Institution comprising 19 museums, established at key points in our 170 year history. The inauguration of our newest museum occurs as race and cultural differences dominate the natural discourse. This museum can be an ideal Gathering Place to learn, to hold conversations, to be inspired, and to be uplifted. The smithsonian can, and i believe should provide a form for discussions relevant to our mission, especially when these can shine a light of history and culture of the public we serve. Is true of the African American museum of history and culture, and true of other museums, centers, and initiatives. Century arehe 21st dynamic learning institutions that use the exceptional power of art and artifacts to evoke feelings, teach, and energize people. And in a time of great cynicism and distrust of so many establishments of the press, and even of government libraries and museums remain among the most trusted sources of information in our country. Frequently i visit our museums on my own without my id that is tother visitor id badge view exhibits. You can see people appear to change, especially young people, as they explore an exhibition and light up with a spark of recognition. Museums have the capacity to theh lives and transform way people see the world and interact with each other. Museums of the smithsonian are all working to share the treasures we care for in thoughtprovoking and engaging ways. And the newest member of our family, the National Museum of african American History and culture, is setting the bar even higher for the Visitor Experience across the smithsonian. Opening now in a time when social and political discord remind us that racism is not unfortunately a thing of the past this museum and i believe will help advance the public conversation. It was in 1863 when frederick the relation between the white and colored p