The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is a repository located on the north campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.[1] The library houses archival materials on the life, career, and presidency of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States.[2] The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is a part of the National Archives and Records Administrations presidential library system.
| Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library | |
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| General information | |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°17′16″N 83°42′45″W / 42.28781°N 83.712516°W |
| Named for | Gerald R. Ford |
| Construction started | January 15, 1979 |
| Inaugurated | Dedicated on April 27, 1981 |
| Cost | $4.3 million |
| Management | National Archives University of Michigan |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) |
| Website | |
| Ford Library | |
History
editWhile 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.[3] 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.[3] Construction of the library started on January 15, 1979, and it was opened to the public on April 27, 1981.[4]
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.[3]
Collection
editThe 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.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ "Gerald R. Ford Library". Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ a b c "BHL 75th Anniversary Collections". Bentley Historical Library. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ a b "About the Gerald R. Ford Library". Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
External links
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