Gerald "Gerry" Ford (July 14, 1913 - December 26, 2006) assumed the office of United States Commander-in-Chief upon Richard Nixon's resignation in August of 1974. As he had also become Vice President a year earlier following the resignation of Spiro Agnew, Ford is the only President who was neither elected for the Presidency nor the Vice Presidency.

I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers. And I hope that such prayers will also be the first of many.

If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. I have not campaigned either for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman - my dear wife - as I begin this very difficult job.

Presiding over an American economy battered by inflation and a rise in the cost of living, President Ford asked Americans to "Whip Inflation Now" ("WIN") - calling on individuals to do their part with responsible saving and spending. He encouraged people to wear "WIN" buttons to show their support for the initiative. (Not surprisingly, though proposed assuredly with the best of intentions, the effort was largely met with cynical derision and knocked as a publicity gimmick.)

We must introduce a new balance in the relationship between the individual and the government - a balance that favors greater individual freedom and self-reliance.

Ford survived two assignation attempts and the Fall of Saigon, but his pardon of former President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal remains the most memorable moment of his term. Though many historians now agree that the pardon was a positive step toward restoring national confidence, it was an extremely risky move that illustrated his personal resolve to do what he believed was right, as opposed to what might be politically safe.

I have come to a decision which I felt I should tell you and all of my fellow American citizens, as soon as I was certain in my own mind and in my own conscience that it is the right thing to do.

Ford died in 2006 at the age of 93, the longest-lived president in U.S. history.

I have always felt that the real purpose of government is to enhance the lives of people and that a leader can best do that by restraining government in most cases instead of enlarging it at every opportunity.