Hail to the Chief

Got up early and drove into Grand Rapids to see the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. We walked in and were directed to a movie theatre. We laughed as it was totally empty and we chose seats in the center and waited. To our horror, a school showed up with 150 third graders and chaperones. We were surrounded. After the movie we walked through the exhibits along with the kids and remembered those days of the Ford Presidency. Ford was the only president who was not elected to that office or the vice presidency. He was appointed VP by Richard Nixon after Spiro Agnew resigned. Before that Ford had been a lawyer, congressman and minority leader of the House. He was a star football player in high school, attended U of Michigan and Yale Law School. Seems he was a truly nice guy and well liked. We enjoyed the museum and the 60's memorabilia. The displays were not as polished or high tech as the Lincoln museum or Clinton, Truman or Eisenhower libraries, but worth the visit. Now we have seen FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Still to go Hoover, LBJ, Nixon, Carter and George H.W. Bush. Those are the official Presidential Libraries even though there are museums for the "older" presidents. Downtown GrandRapids is a good looking city with some large buildings and nice sculptures.