Remembering a President
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[ABCDE] VOLUME 6, IssUE 3 Remembering a President Paying Respect in Ceremony and Personal Gestures ASSOCIATED PRESS Vice President Gerald Ford addresses the media Aug. 9, 1974, after President Richard Nixon announced his resignation. INSIDE Gerald R. Ford In State Funeral, Moral Warm Dies a Farewell to Ford Leadership Memories of a 4 21 28 31 Leader Januray 9, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, IssUE 1 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Remembering a President Print Resources “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our Gerald R. Ford: July 14, 1913, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, has passed to Dec. 26, 2006 www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ away at 93 years of age,” Betty Ford shared in a written statement on content/politics/special/9/index. Tuesday, December 26, 2006. In the days that followed, the family html — and the nation — would mourn and remember the 38th president of the United States, the longest living and the only one not to be elected Discussions Archives: Ford www.washingtonpost.com/wp- to the presidency or the vice presidency. dyn/content/linkset/2006/12/27/ In grand ceremonies and in simple gestures, the nation honors and LI2006122701292.html expresses its respect for the president and the office. Each living Transcripts of online Q&A with president, current or former, must now have funeral plans in place upon Post reporters, historians and other experts becoming president. As time passes, the former president and his family may review and modify the details of the services Camera Works and the place of final burial with officials of the www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ Military District of Washington who then content/photo/?nav=globetop Collections include “Honoring Gerald arrange all the logistics of the state funeral. Ford” and “Gerald R. Ford 1913- Personal preferences and tradition blend 2006” in the state funeral. Wanting to remove themselves from the pomp of British rulers, Remarks Delivered at Ford’s Funeral at the National Cathedral the funerals of the Founding Fathers were www.washingtonpost.com/wp- much simpler. George Washington’s service and dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/ burial was held at Mount Vernon. The funerals of AR2007010200418.html the first two presidents to die in office were held at the White House CQ Transcripts Wire which was draped in black ribbon. Abraham Lincoln, the first president Review the Web sites of other news to lie in state at the Capitol, shortly after the Rotunda and current dome organizations for the archived were completed, was the first president for whom a nationwide period material they may have available to of mourning was declared. The black catafalque built for Lincoln and the the public. basic plan for the ceremony have been used since 1865. The individual’s faith, style and time period influence aspects of the NIE Online Guide funeral. Ford is the eleventh president to lie in state in the Rotunda. Editor: Carol Lange Layout: Bill Webster The state funerals of U.S. President Gerald Ford as well as Dwight Eisenhower (1969) and Ronald Reagan (2004) were held at the Send comments about this Washington National Cathedral. All four living U.S. presidents plan to guide to Margaret Kaplow, hold funeral services at the Cathedral. Educational Services Manager, [email protected]. Protocol may determine where dignitaries and mourners sit, but the final resting place returns to the family members who have shared their private grief with a nation — and observing world. President Woodrow Wilson is entombed at Washington National Cathedral. Kennedy and Taft are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Other presidents are buried on their presidential library grounds and in their home states. 2 January 16, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, IssUE 1 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Remembering a President On the Web Depending on the grade level of your students and course of study, there Gerald R. Ford are many possible activities for using the material in this guide. We are www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ providing a quick list to stimulate discussion and vary approaches. gf38.html White House bio of the 38th President • Aspects of the funeral events 1. What are the national and and services will reflect the international accomplishments of Gerald Ford personal faith, life of the deceased the Ford presidency? http://www.loc.gov/today/ford/ and family choices. Other elements 2. What essential contributions Library of Congress site includes an essay will reflect tradition, such as the did Gerald Ford make to American on Ford at the time of the inauguration of use of the Lincoln catafalque. society as president of the U.S.? the Gerald R. Ford Foundation journalism Others will recognize the role of 3. What suggestion would you prizes (1988), photographs and links to his the U.S. President as Commander make to one of the living presidents Presidential Inaugural Address. in Chief; this category includes the for his funeral events? What would Armed Forces pallbearers and music this add to the ceremony? Why do Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum provided by military bands and you think it should be included? www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/ choirs. Make three columns, one for • The four living presidents, Introduction to the person and president, each category. Read the articles and their spouses, and Nancy Reagan timeline, photographs; link to library and list items that are appropriate for attended the funeral service for museum programs including permanent and each dimension of the ceremonies. Gerald Ford at Washington National online exhibits. • Compare and contrast the Cathedral. Dignitaries from what funeral events and services of other branches of government and Gerald R. Ford Foundation presidents who died in office and agencies would you expect to be http://geraldrfordfoundation.org/ those who died after leaving the invited to a state funeral? Select Exhibits, speakers and excellence in presidency. one of the current living presidents journalism awards and scholarship grants. • After reading about the state and make a list of five international funeral for President Ford, do some leaders whom you think should be Letter from House Minority Leader Ford to research. In groups find out about invited to attend his state funeral. President Nixon the funeral services of President Why is each selected? http://www.archives.gov/education/ Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, • Group students by six stages lessons/ford-nixon-letter/ Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower, in the life of Gerald Ford: Birth National Archives lesson in its Teaching Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to College, College and Graduate with Documents materials. Then House Theodore Roosevelt, William School, Military Experience and Minority Leader Ford provides suggestions Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln Early Career, Political Involvement for replacing Vice President Spiro Agnew and Thomas Jefferson. Compare and Member of the House of who had resigned. and contrast the state funerals: Representatives, Family and how they reflect the individual, Personal Life, and Vice Presidency C-SPAN Ford Coverage the time period, communication and Presidency. Students are to www.c-span.org/executive/ford.asp and transportation, and national read and summarize the articles Material includes American Presidents: Life awareness. and review the photographs about Portraits and compilation DVD/VHS videos • Read the commentary pieces their focus. You may give them the of the Ford funeral ceremonies. and “Warm Memories of a Leader.” Web resources as well. They are to Have students assume different correctly quote and give credit to personas to discuss the impact of sources. In addition to the written President Ford on the people he summary, they are to evaluate met, the nation and the world. Ford’s character, career and choices. • After reading the articles in this guide, answer the following questions: 3 January 16, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, IssUE 1 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program December 26, 2006 Gerald R. Ford, 93, Dies; On the day after Christmas, the nation learns of the passing of Gerald Ford, the Led in Watergate’s Wake 38th President of the United States. By J.Y. Smith and Lou Cannon President Bush, on Special to The Washington Post vacation in Texas, expresses condolences and offers one • Original Date of Publication: of the executive jets normally Wednesday, December 27, 2006 used as Air Force One to Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., 93, who the Ford family. Members of became the 38th president of the United Congress are on break and States as a result of some of the most preparing for the change of extraordinary events in U.S. history and leadership from Republican sought to restore the nation’s confidence to Democratic members in in the basic institutions of government, January. has died. His wife, Betty, reported the Word of the former death in a statement last night. president’s death is received “My family joins me in sharing the late on the East Coast, but difficult news that Gerald Ford, our in time for newspapers to beloved husband, father, grandfather and pull their Dec. 27 front page great grandfather has passed away at 93 stories and replace them with years of age,” Betty Ford said in a brief an obituary. Most newspapers statement issued from her husband’s have prepared obituaries office in Rancho Mirage, Calif. “His life for older statesmen and was filled with love of God, his family community leaders. The obit and his country.” Grand Rapids, Mich., he always claimed can be updated with the most The statement did not say where that his highest ambition was to be recent information, but the Ford died or give a cause of death.