Big Names Took the Stage to Mark the 50th Anniversary of Ford's Oath of Office
Ford friends and family came to Grand Rapids to celebrate Ford's historic step into the presidency, including
Steve and Mike Ford, sons of President and Mrs. Ford
Carla Hills, President Ford's Secretary of Housing and Urban development (the first female to hold that position, and the third ever to serve in a presidential cabinet)
Maj. Gen. Albert Zapanta, President Ford's Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (the first Hispanic American to be appointed to a cabinet office)
This impressive panel spoke about the momentous events of August 8 and 9, 1974 and how that 24-hour period changed Ford's family, American politics, and world history.
Ribbon Cutting for New Exhibit, "Ford at 50: Decisions That Defined a Presidency"
Our museum curators put together another impressive, original exhibit on President Ford, this time marking 50 years since his historic swearing in on August 9, 1974, and highlighting the unprecedented decisions he faced as president.
After the discussion, guests attended the ribbon cutting for "Ford at 50: Decisions that Defined a Presidency," and were the first people to explore the exhibit.
The original temporary exhibit used an array of materials from the Museum's collection, including presidential artifacts, archival documents, and historic film footage. Guests were introduced to some of the most difficult and controversial decisions that President Ford made in office.
Photos of the Event
When
August 8, 2024
Program Supporters
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
About Mike Ford
With a BA from Wake Forest University and a M.Div. from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Mike recently completed a long professional career in Student Affairs, the last 36 years serving in multiple leadership roles at Wake Forest.
In February 2018 Mike received the Medallion of Merit Award from the University.
When Mike and Gayle are not sharing love and life with their 3 daughters/sons-in-law and grandchildren, Mike is fully engaged as a lay leader at First Presbyterian Church, volunteer and board member of Samaritan Ministries, and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.
Mike is the eldest son of former President Gerald R. and Betty Ford.
About Steve Ford
Steve has enjoyed a successful acting career for over 25 years appearing in over 800 hours of film and television productions. He has worked on over 25 films and many guest-leads in television. Most recently you would have seen Steve appearing in the hit movie “Transformers” and “Black Hawk Down.”
Steve’s other film credits include “Contact” with Jodie Foster, “Armageddon” with Bruce Willis, “Starship Troopers and Eraser” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Heat” with Al Pacino, “Carrie II” and “When Harry Met Sally” as Meg Ryan’s boyfriend. He has also done numerous guest-leads in television shows such as “Suddenly Susan,” “J.A.G.,” “Flipper,” “Walker Texas Ranger,” “Dr. Quinn,” “Baywatch,” “The Cape,” “Columbo,” “Murder She Wrote,” and “Happy Days.” Steve also hosted a full season of the prime-time series “Secret Service” for NBC. Early in Steve’s career he spent six years playing Andy Richards on the Emmy Award winning CBS daytime show, “The Young and the Restless”.
Before becoming an actor in 1980, Steve worked on the professional rodeo circuit as a team roper and still ropes today in his spare time. He owns a ranch in California. Steve served three years on the Board of Directors of The National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City and currently serves on the Board of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.
He is also highly sought after nationally as a motivational speaker for corporate events relating his inspiring experiences during his family’s stay in the White House and his years in Hollywood. Steve speaks about his own successful battle overcoming alcoholism over twenty-five years ago. He shares with audiences inspiring stories of character and leadership that lead to the Ford family’s success which will help audiences rethink their own lives. He is the third son of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford.
Ford has been a trustee with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation for over 40 years. He has served as Vice-Chairman from 1987-1989 and 1995-1997, and Chairman from 2010-2014.
About Carla Hills
Carla Hills is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hills & Company International Consultants which provides advice to U.S. businesses on investment, trade, and risk assessment issues abroad.
Ambassador Hills served in the cabinets of President George H.W. Bush as United States Trade Representative and of President Gerald R. Ford as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also served as Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in the Ford Administration.
Ambassador Hills has served on the boards of a number of Fortune 500 companies and currently serves on the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan Chase and the Starr Companies Advisory Board. She is also actively involved with a number of eleemosynary organizations, serving as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations; Co-Chair Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and of the Inter-American Dialogue, member of the Board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Honorary Board member of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Member of the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission, and Member of the President of Yale’s Council on International Activities.
Before entering government, Mrs. Hills co-founded and was partner of a Los Angeles law firm. She served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of California at Los Angeles Law School, teaching antitrust law.
She graduated from Stanford University, attended Oxford University’s St. Hilda’s College, and obtained her law degree from the Yale Law School. She holds a number of honorary degrees, including the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor given by the Mexican government to a non-citizen. She lives in Washington, D.C.
About Albert Zapanta
Albert Zapanta is President and CEO of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, which operates 10 regional offices in the United States and 9 in Mexico. He is also Chairman and Owner of Planning, Inc. a human resources, training and security company doing business with the U.S. Federal Government for over 40 years. He worked in upstream operations of Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO Oil & Gas) and retired as Director of Governmental Affairs for ARCO where he was responsible for negotiations with U.S. and Mexican (PEMEX) governments on oil and gas matters and coordinated ARCO’s effort to deregulate the natural gas market which became law, the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA). Mr. Zapanta has held numerous Presidential appointments, including White House Fellow, Special Assistant to Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation; Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Management and Administration, U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Trade Technology and Development, and private sector delegate to the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld, appointed Gen. Zapanta as Chairman of the Reserve
Forces Policy Board (RFPB). Gen. Zapanta was appointed Chief of Staff for the Peacekeeping
Mission United Nations Referendum on Western Sahara. Military officers and soldiers from the USSR, People’s Republic of China, Great Britain and France served under his command. Gen.
Zapanta’s military record includes the award of the Silver Star, 5 Bronze Stars for Valor, Purple Heart, and 30 other awards during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Restore Hope in Somalia and Restore Democracy in Haiti. Gen. Zapanta retired from the U.S. Army with 36 years of service.
He served on the Board of Directors, Tyson Foods as Chairman of the Nomination and Governance Committee and retired after 14 years (2003-2016). He was formerly a member of the Board of Trustees, President Gerald R. Ford Foundation and Museum; Senior Fellow, Center for Western Hemisphere Defense Studies; Chairman, Hispanic War Veterans of America; Executive Committee Member, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; Member Advisory Board, Museum of the U.S. Army; Chairman, United States-Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Dallas, Irving. Texas.
Mr. Zapanta has a BA in Industrial Psychology, MA in Public Administration and has completed work for his PhD in International Political Economics from the University of Southern California. Mr. Zapanta graduated from the Advanced Management Program, Harvard Graduate School of Business; the Inter-American Defense College at the National War College, Washington, D.C.
In June 2018, he was elected and reelected in 2021 and 2024 to serve on the Irving City Council, State of Texas. He and his wife Rochelle have two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren.
