Remembering President Ford

I was traveling to Washington frequently during the final, sad months of President Nixon’s administration. I was drawn here by my global modeling work and, then, by a series of interviews that led to my accepting a position at American University. Statements from the Administration were always described as coming from “The White House.” “The White House denies wrongdoing. …The White House refuses to release the tapes… The White House prepares for impeachment hearings… The White House issued a denial that Presdent Nixon has been drinking heavily.” And on and on. I often stayed at the Hotel Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue. I would walk by The White House and look through the fence at this graceful home, experiencing feelings of sadness and depression that made me physically ill.

When Gerald Ford became President, it was if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Once again, I could walk up Pennsylvania Avenue, view the White House and feel proud to be an American.