The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is a repository located on the north campus of the
University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
.
The library houses archival materials on the life, career, and presidency of
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
, the 38th
president of the United States.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is a part of the
National Archives and Records Administrations
presidential library
A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency.
In the United States
* The presidential libr ...
system.
History
While a member of the
United States Congress, Ford began donating his congressional papers to the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, his alma mater (B.A. 1935), in 1965.
As his presidency drew to a close, Ford offered to donate his presidential materials to a presidential library that would be built on the university's campus and administered by the National Archives.
Construction of the library started on January 15, 1979, and it was opened to the public on April 27, 1981.
The Ford Library is currently the only National Archives presidential library that is physically separate from its presidential museum, although both sites share a common director. The
Gerald R. Ford Museum is located in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ford's old congressional district and hometown, 130 miles west-northwest of Ann Arbor.
Collection
The majority of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library collection is made up of presidential and White House staff papers from 1974-1977. Papers from Betty Ford, additional pre- and post-presidential papers, research interviews and papers, as well as various Federal records are also included in the collection. In total, there are 3,500 hours of audio, 25 million pages of documents, 3,500 hours of motion picture film, 450,000 photographs, and 3,500 hours of video housed in the collection.
See also
*
List of U.S. presidential libraries
In the United States, the presidential library system is a nationwide network of 15 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These are repositories ...
References
External links
*
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Library buildings completed in 1981
Buildings and structures in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Presidential Library
A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency.
In the United States
* The presidential libr ...
Libraries in Michigan
Museums in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ford
University of Michigan campus
1981 establishments in Michigan