110+ Gerald R. Ford Quotes On Education, Government And World

Gerald R. Ford was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. He was the only President to serve without being elected either President or Vice President. Ford was appointed Vice President after the resignation of Spiro Agnew and became President after the resignation of Richard Nixon. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Gerald R. Ford on education, leadership, government.

Top 10 Gerald R. Ford Quotes

1. A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
2. An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.
3. I hope never to see the day that I cannot admit having made a mistake.
4. History and experience tell us that moral progress comes not in comfortable and complacent times, but out of trial and confusion.
5. The spirit of seeking understanding through personal contact with people of other nations and other cultures deserves the respect and support of all.
6. Teddy Roosevelt... once said, 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.' Jimmy Carter wants to speak loudly and carry a fly swatter.
7. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.
8. I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our government, but civilization itself.
9. I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, so I ask you to confirm me with your prayers.
10. Real assistance is to help people to help themselves. We can't do everything for everybody, but there is room for all who try to make it.

Gerald R. Ford Short Quotes

• The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency.
• There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
• Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.
• The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep.
• My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.
• I would hope that understanding and reconciliation are not limited to the 19th hole alone.
• If Lincoln were alive today, he'd be turning over in his grave.
• I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators.
• I watch a lot of baseball on the radio.
• When a man is asked to make a speech, the first thing he has to decide is what to say.

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About Leadership

America's leadership is essential. America's resources are vast. America's opportunities are unprecedented. — Gerald R. Ford

Today, America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam... These events, tragic as they are, portend neither the end of the world nor of America's leadership in the world. — Gerald R. Ford

As President, I am determined to offer leadership to overcome our current economic problems. My goal is for jobs for all who want to work and economic opportunity for all who want to achieve. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About Government

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy. — Gerald R. Ford

Truth is the glue that holds government together. — Gerald R. Ford

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. — Gerald R. Ford

Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws, not of men. — Gerald R. Ford

Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. — Gerald R. Ford

I believe in friendly compromise. I said over in the Senate hearings that truth is the glue that holds government together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go. — Gerald R. Ford

There are no adequate substitutes for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things. — Gerald R. Ford

Compromise is the oil that makes governments go. — Gerald R. Ford

I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our Government but civilization itself. That bond, though strained, is unbroken at home and abroad. — Gerald R. Ford

Let America symbolize humanity's struggle to conquer nature and master technology. The time has now come for our Government to facilitate the individual's control over his or her future - and of the future of America. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About World

Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music. — Gerald R. Ford

I cannot imagine any other country in the world where the opposition would seek, and the chief executive would allow, the dissemination of his most private and personal conversations with his staff, which, to be honest, do not exactly confer sainthood on anyone concerned. — Gerald R. Ford

It feels like getting a back massage from the Grim Reaper: one must get comfortable with the most horrifying things in the world. — Gerald R. Ford

My goal is for a cooperative world at peace, using its resources to build, not to destroy. — Gerald R. Ford

We have too long treated the natural world as an adversary rather than as a life-sustaining gift from the Almighty. If man has the genius to build, which he has, he must also have the ability and the responsibility to preserve. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About Unity

Let us remember that our national unity is a most priceless asset. — Gerald R. Ford

Let us put an end to self-inflicted wounds. Let us remember that our national unity is a most priceless asset. Let us deny our adversaries the satisfaction of using Vietnam to pit Americans against Americans. — Gerald R. Ford

Even though this is late in an election year, there is no way we can go forward except together and no way anybody can win except by serving the people's urgent needs. We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together. — Gerald R. Ford

We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About People

I had a lot of experience with people smarter than I am. — Gerald R. Ford

I have taken special interest in these accounts [of UFOs].. I think there may be substance to some of these reports... I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment on this subject. — Gerald R. Ford

It is good to be back in the Peoples House. But this cannot be a real homecoming. Under the Constitution, I now belong to the executive branch. The Supreme Court has even ruled that I am the executive branchhead, heart, and hand. — Gerald R. Ford

Government exists to create and preserve conditions in which people can translate their ideas into practical reality. In the best of times, much is lost in translation. But we try. — Gerald R. Ford

It's the quality of the ordinary, the straight, the square, that accounts for the great stability and success of our nation. It's a quality to be proud of. But it's a quality that many people seem to have neglected. — Gerald R. Ford

For nearly two hundred years, our nation has derived its strength from the diversity of its people and of their beliefs. That strength has been greatly enhanced by [the Islamic] religious heritage. — Gerald R. Ford

Even though this is late in an election year, there is no way we can go forward except together and no way anybody can win except by serving the peoples urgent needs. We cannot stand still or slip backwards. We must go forward now together. — Gerald R. Ford

I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security. — Gerald R. Ford

As a man of the Congress, let me reaffirm my conviction that the collective wisdom of our two great legislative bodies while not infallible will in the end serve the people faithfully and very, very well. — Gerald R. Ford

Our Constitution works; our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About President

A coalition of groups is waging a massive propaganda campaign against the president of the United States. an all-out attack. Their aim is total victory for themselves and total defeat for him. — Gerald R. Ford

In all my public and private acts as your president, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end. — Gerald R. Ford

The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music. — Gerald R. Ford

I was dumbfounded by the stupidity of the Watergate break-in. — Gerald R. Ford

I do believe, with all my heart and mind and spirit, that I, not as President but as a humble servant of God, will receive justice without mercy if I fail to show mercy. — Gerald R. Ford

Mr. President, putting it bluntly, wouldn't we just be continuing a bloodbath that already exists in Cambodia if we voted the 222 million in aid? — Gerald R. Ford

To me, the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency were not prizes to be won, but a duty to be done. — Gerald R. Ford

May our former president, who brought peace to millions, find it for himself. — Gerald R. Ford

It's discouraging how hard it is for a President to slice away large chunks of a $305 billion budget. — Gerald R. Ford

I couldn't wait to start the day. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Quotes About Love

I love sports. Whenever I can, I always watch the Detroit Tigers on the radio. — Gerald R. Ford

We are bound together by the most powerful of all ties, our fervent love for freedom and independence, which knows no homeland but the human heart. — Gerald R. Ford

The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends. — Gerald R. Ford

Gerald R. Ford Famous Quotes And Sayings

The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election. — Gerald R. Ford

I had pro offers from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who were pretty hard up for linemen in those days. If I had gone into professional football the name Jerry Ford might have been a household word today. — Gerald R. Ford

Richard Nixon... was just offered $2 million by Schick to do a television commercial - for Gillette. — Gerald R. Ford

The power and diversity of the Armed Forces, active Guard and Reserve, the resolve of our fellow citizens, the flexibility in our command to navigate international waters that remain troubled are all essential to our security. — Gerald R. Ford

In the age-old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to lose for their convictions are deserving of posterity's approval. — Gerald R. Ford

For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas. — Gerald R. Ford

The three-martini lunch is the epitome of American efficiency. Where else can you get an earful, a bellyful and a snootful at the same time? — Gerald R. Ford

A great nation cannot abandon its responsibilities. Responsibilities abandoned today return as more acute crises tomorrow. — Gerald R. Ford

Humor can help you to disagree without being disagreeable. The key in democracy is not necessarily that we agree, but that we participate....Despite all the heavy problems- domestic and international- there is humor. Humor transcends partisanship. — Gerald R. Ford

All my children have spoken for themselves since they first learned to speak, and not always with my advance approval, and I expect that to continue in the future. — Gerald R. Ford

I don't know what the future may hold for me-or for any of us. But I want you to know that I am a man who likes having critics who are not enemies. — Gerald R. Ford

Our Nation has a diverse and extremely rich cultural heritage. It is a source of pride and strength to millions of Americans who look to the arts for inspiration, communication and the opportunity for creative self-expression. — Gerald R. Ford

We have come tardily to the tremendous task of cleaning up our environment. We should have moved with similar zeal at least a decade ago. But no purpose is served by post-mortems. With visionary zeal but the greatest realism, we must now address ourselves to the vast problems that confront us. — Gerald R. Ford

We must proceed with our own energy development. Exploitation of domestic petroleum and natural gas potentialities, along with nuclear, solar, geothermal, and non-fossil fuels is vital. We will never again permit any foreign nation to have Uncle Sam over a barrel of oil. — Gerald R. Ford

My commitment to the security and future of Israel is based upon basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. Our role in supporting Israel honors our own heritage. — Gerald R. Ford

Personal excellence can be achieved by a visionary goal, through planning, dedicated execution, and total follow-through. — Gerald R. Ford

As I rejected amnesty, so I reject revenge. I ask all Americans who ever asked for goodness and mercy in their lives, who ever sought forgiveness for their trespasses, to join in rehabilitating all the casualties of the tragic conflict of the past. — Gerald R. Ford

So much of what passes for public life consists of little more than candidates without ideas, hiring consultants without conviction, to stage campaigns without content. The result, increasingly, is elections without voters. — Gerald R. Ford

The earth will continue to regenerate its life sources only as long as we and all the peoples of the world do our part to conserve its natural resources. It is a responsibility which every human being shares. Through voluntary action, each of us can join in building a productive land in harmony with nature. — Gerald R. Ford

Speaker, with mixed emotions we mark the 50th anniversary of the Turkish genocide of the Armenian people. In taking notice of the shocking events in 1915, we observe this anniversary with sorrow in recalling the massacres of Armenians and with pride in saluting those brave patriots who survived to fight on the side of freedom during World War I. — Gerald R. Ford

I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose. — Gerald R. Ford

The pat on the back, the arm around the shoulder, the praise for what was done right and the sympathetic nod for what wasn't are as much a part of golf as life itself. — Gerald R. Ford

There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.... The United States does notconcede that those countries are under the domination of the Soviet Union. — Gerald R. Ford

Obviously, it's a great privilege and pleasure to be here at the Yale Law School Sesquicentennial Convocation. And I defy anyone to say that and chew gum at the same time. — Gerald R. Ford

I have had a lot of adversaries in my political life, but no enemies that I can remember. — Gerald R. Ford

In the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Force, I strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena. I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs, and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment of the subject. — Gerald R. Ford

I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. — Gerald R. Ford

Too often critics seem more intent on seeking new ways to alter Congress than to truly learn how it functions. They might well profit from the advice of Thomas Huxley, who said a century ago: Sit down before facts as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notionor you shall learn nothing. — Gerald R. Ford

During the day on Monday, Washington time, the airport at Saigon came under persistent rocket as well as artillery fire and was effectively closed. The military situation in the area deteriorated rapidly. I therefore ordered the evacuation of all American personnel remaining in South Vietnam. — Gerald R. Ford

All of us who served in one war or another know very well that all wars are the glory and the agony of the young. — Gerald R. Ford

If I went back to college again, I'd concentrate on learning to write and to speak before an audience . Nothing is more important than the abillity to communicate effectively. — Gerald R. Ford

Things are more like today than they have ever been before. — Gerald R. Ford

This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts. — Gerald R. Ford

In a political sense, there is one problem that currently underlies all of the others. That problem is making Government sufficiently responsive to the people. If we dont make government responsive to the people, we dont make it believable. And we must make government believable if we are to have a functioning democracy. — Gerald R. Ford

A strong defense is the surest way to peace. Strength makes detente attainable. Weakness invites war, as my generationmy generationknows from four very bitter experiences. Just as Americas will for peace is second to none, so will Americas strength be second to none. We cannot rely on the forbearance of others to protect this Nation. The power and diversity of the Armed Forces, active Guard and Reserve, the resolve of our fellow citizens, the flexibility in our command to navigate international waters that remain troubled are all essential to our security. — Gerald R. Ford

I do not want a honeymoon with you. I want a good marriage. I want progress, and I want problemsolving which requires my best efforts and also your best efforts. I have no need to learn how Congress speaks for the people. As President, I intend to listen. But I also intend to listen to the people themselvesall the peopleas I promised last Friday. I want to be sure that we are all tuned in to the real voice of America. — Gerald R. Ford

In the two centuries that have passed since 1776, millions upon millions of Americans have worked and taken up arms when necessary to make that dream a reality. We can be extremely proud of what they have accomplished. Today, we are the world's oldest republic. We are at peace. Our Nation and our way of life endure. We are free. — Gerald R. Ford

It's more like it is now than it ever has been. — Gerald R. Ford

Ronald Regan doesn't dye his hair - he's just prematurely orange. — Gerald R. Ford

The United States ... has been proud of its association with the State of Israel. We shall continue to stand with Israel. We are committed to Israel's survival and security. The United States for a quarter of a century has had an excellent relationship with the State of Israel. We have cooperated in many, many fields - in your security, in the well-being of the Middle East, and in leading what we all hope is a lasting peace throughout the world. — Gerald R. Ford

To know John Kennedy, as I did, was to understand the true meaning of the word. He understood that courage is not something to be gauged in a poll or located in a focus group. No adviser can spin it. No historian can backdate it. For, in the age old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to lose for their convictions are deserving of posterity's approval. — Gerald R. Ford

America needed recovery, not revenge. The hate had to be drained and the healing begun. — Gerald R. Ford

I remain convinced that pardoning Nixon was the right thing to do. — Gerald R. Ford

I am the first to admit that I am no great orator or no person that got where I have gotten by any William Jennings Bryan technique. — Gerald R. Ford

Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974. — Gerald R. Ford

Never be satisfied with less than your very best effort. If you strive for the top and miss, you'll still 'beat the pack.' — Gerald R. Ford

Frankly, I've never felt voting to be all that essential to the process. — Gerald R. Ford

There is no undertaking more challenging, no responsibility more awesome, than that of being a mother. — Gerald R. Ford

I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference. I do believe, with all my heart and mind and spirit, that I, not as President but as a humble servant of God, will receive justice without mercy if I fail to show mercy. — Gerald R. Ford

I am a Ford, not a Lincoln. — Gerald R. Ford

I think that sports, particularly football, gave me an opportunity to be out front, to be a leader, which helped me later on, when I got into politics. — Gerald R. Ford

If it is a clichй to say athletics build character as well as muscle, then I subscribe to the clich. — Gerald R. Ford

In a democracy, the public has a right to know not only what the government decides, but why and by what process. — Gerald R. Ford

If compassion and mercy are not compatible with politics then something is the matter with politics. — Gerald R. Ford

I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon. — Gerald R. Ford

Life Lessons by Gerald R. Ford

1. Gerald R. Ford taught us to be humble and to always put others before ourselves. He was a selfless leader who was dedicated to serving his country and its citizens.
2. He also taught us the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Despite facing numerous challenges during his presidency, he was able to remain steadfast and continue to serve with dignity and grace.
3. Finally, Gerald R. Ford showed us the power of forgiveness and understanding. He was able to move past the Watergate scandal and create a more unified nation by pardoning Richard Nixon.