President Ford Seen as a Steady Political Hand

by Pam Fessler, NPR

The country's 38th president has died. Gerald Ford was 93. Ford was initially seen as a caretaker for the presidency -- the bridge between a disgraced Richard Nixon and the next man elected to the White House, Jimmy Carter.

But time cast a more favorable light on Ford's two-and-a-half years in office. He won praise as a man whose calm and straightforward demeanor helped steer the nation through some turbulent times.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, December 27, 2006