Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
National Archives and Records Administration · Public domain · source
Name	Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Established	1981
Location	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Director	Robert W. Kozma
Parent	National Archives and Records Administration

Contents

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library preserves the papers and records of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States. Located on the campus of the University of Michigan, the library supports research on topics connected to Ford's service in the United States House of Representatives, the Vice Presidency of the United States, and the Presidency of the United States. The institution collaborates with federal repositories, academic archives, and presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration.

History

The library was established following Ford's post-presidential decisions and the legislative framework created by the Presidential Records Act of 1978 and precedents set by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Its opening in 1981 echoed initiatives by Ford contemporaries such as Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Dwight D. Eisenhower to create institutional archives. Early donors and supporters included figures associated with the Republican Party (United States), the United States Congress, the University of Michigan Board of Regents, and private foundations similar to the Ford Foundation. The archive's development involved negotiation with the National Archives and liaison with legal advisers experienced in the Freedom of Information Act and the Presidential Records Act. Over the decades the library has coordinated with the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan and with research programs at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Yale University Library, and the Library of Congress.

The library occupies a site on North Campus (University of Michigan), adjacent to the University of Michigan Museum of Art and near the Hatcher Graduate Library and the Ann Arbor civic center. Facilities include climate-controlled stacks modeled on standards from the National Archives and Records Administration, conservation labs comparable to those at the Smithsonian Institution and the National Library of Medicine, microfilm reading rooms like those at the Newberry Library, and digitization studios akin to equipment at the Bodleian Library. The building's design drew on collaborations with architectural firms experienced with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Richard B. Russell Federal Building. Site security and storage conform to protocols used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for classified materials and by the Department of Defense for restricted documents.

Holdings include the personal papers of Gerald Ford, correspondence with figures such as Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, and James A. Baker III; Congressional materials from Ford's service with counterparts like Tip O'Neill, John Rhodes; and materials documenting interactions with foreign leaders including Leonid Brezhnev, Helmut Schmidt, Margaret Thatcher, and Anwar Sadat. The archive houses records related to the Mayaguez Incident, the Helsinki Accords, the Evacuation of Saigon, and policy files on the Energy Crisis of the 1970s. Audio-visual holdings feature recordings of national addresses, press conferences, and televised debates with appearances by Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, and Barbara Walters. The library also preserves White House staff papers from aides like Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Brent Scowcroft, and legal files concerning the Pardoning of Richard Nixon. Special collections include oral histories with members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, campaign materials from the 1976 United States presidential election, and photographs of state visits involving delegations from China and Japan.

Researchers consult manuscript collections under rules aligned with the National Archives and Records Administration access policies, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Presidential Records Act of 1978. Services include reproduction and digitization requests, interlibrary loan coordination with the Library of Congress and the National Archives at College Park, and reference assistance comparable to that offered by the New York Public Library and the British Library. The reading room enforces procedures developed for handling classified and restricted materials consistent with standards from the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of State. Graduate students from programs at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the Ford School of Public Policy, and visiting scholars from institutions like Princeton University and Stanford University use the holdings for dissertations, articles, and teaching.

The library organizes rotating exhibitions in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Museum, universities such as Michigan State University, and cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Past exhibitions have highlighted themes including the Cold War, Vietnam War protests, and congressional oversight exemplified by committees like the House Judiciary Committee. Public programs feature lectures by former officials such as Colin Powell, historians from the National Archives and the American Historical Association, and panels including scholars from the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation. Educational outreach connects with K–12 curricula via collaborations with the National History Day program and teacher workshops modeled on those at the American Association for State and Local History.

The library operates under the National Archives and Records Administration with a director reporting to the Archivist of the United States. Governance includes advisory boards with members drawn from the University of Michigan Board of Regents, former staffers from the White House Chief of Staff offices, and representatives from donor entities like the Gerald R. Ford Foundation. Administrative functions coordinate accessioning, conservation, and public programming in consultation with legal counsel versed in the Presidential Records Act and FOIA litigation handled in federal courts including the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Budgeting and fundraising align with models used by peer institutions such as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.