Gerald R. Ford Library 1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114 www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov

Ford Personal and Post-Presidential Files

GERALD R. FORD SCRAPBOOKS, 1929-present

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Materials concerning Gerald Ford and his family, including: newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, invitations and programs and other memorabilia, and occasional correspondence and other manuscript material. The earliest scrapbook dates from Mr. Ford's high school years, and throughout Mr. Ford's public life his staff has continued to compile scrapbook material. The material is both in bound volumes and loosely filed. In each case the order is chronological. Most scrapbook materials from 1929 to 1978 are available in microfilm via interlibrary loan.

QUANTITY

74 volumes; 20.8 linear feet (ca. 41,600 pages); 28 reels (15,318 frames)

DONOR

Gerald R. Ford (accession number 70-NLF‑012 and numerous accretions)

ACCESS

Open. Some items are temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

COPYRIGHT

Gerald R. Ford has donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Prepared by Paul Conway, February 1988

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INTRODUCTION

The Gerald R. Ford Scrapbooks provide an overview of Ford's public life from his high school through his post-Presidential years. The seventy-four large bound volumes and over 40,000 pages of loosely filed items consist especially of newspaper and magazine clippings, but also included are photographs souvenir programs and invitations, holiday and courtesy messages, occasional notes and other correspondence, and assorted other memorabilia collected by Mr. Ford or his staff. For the period 1929‑78, the contents are reproduced on 35 mm. microfilm and are available on interlibrary loan. The microfilm edition is described below under a separate heading.

The scrapbook collection consists of several segments: bound scrapbooks, the many items that have come loose/unglued from the scrapbooks, the loose items that the post-Presidential office sends to the Library several times per year, and the 1929‑78 microfilm edition. The order is generally chronological but not entirely so because there are several special subject scrapbooks and because the Library has received the material in piecemeal fashion.

As a group, the scrapbooks contain a significant number of unique items, printed matter not readily available elsewhere, and voluminous press coverage of Mr. Ford and his family. Four volumes, assembled by Ford 1929‑48, relate to his early life through his election to Congress, including his wedding to Elizabeth Bloomer Warren in 1948. Ford's office staff created thirty-four volumes during his service in the House of Representatives, 1949‑73. Two additional volumes from the same period concern reviews of his book on the Kennedy assassination, Portrait of the Assassin (1965) and his congressional race in 1972.

Mr. Ford's staff continued to assemble scrapbooks on his career through his Vice Presidency, Presidency, and immediate post- Presidency. This group of thirty-three scrapbooks, 1973‑78, provides an overview of Ford's activities and those of his family as reported by the national writing press. Numerous local newspaper clippings document regional reporting on domestic trips, and there are sometimes foreign press clippings from overseas trips.

Scrapbook materials from 1978 to the present were never mounted in bound volumes. They are a loose file of memorabilia and newspaper and magazine clippings. About one-half of the clippings are from local papers and concern Ford visits. The remainder are divided about equally between California dailies and weeklies and national press, especially the Washington Post, Time, and Newsweek. Mr. Ford and his staff send scrapbook material to the Ford Library on a regular basis. Library volunteers clip and file those items relating to Mr. Ford and his family.

The Microfilm Interlibrary Loan Edition

The microfilm edition is a reproduction of the contents of most of the 74 bound volumes and loose items from the period 1929 to 1978. It is available on interlibrary loan, no more than five reels per order. Appendix C summarizes the contents of each microfilm reel.

The volumes are reproduced one page per frame on 35 millimeter positive film. For multi-page items, programs for example, only the title page and selected other pages were microfilmed. Memorabilia such as badges, pins and campaign buttons were not microfilmed.

The microfilm reel for each scrapbook volume has up to three segments, filmed in succession: the bound volume pages; the loose/unglued items from the volume; and the photographs that have been removed and transferred to the Library audiovisual unit.

Index of Correspondents

An index of correspondents is available for scrapbook volumes 2 to 35, January 1949 to October 1973.

Series Descriptions

Vol. 1A-70 Bound Scrapbooks, 1929‑79.

Bound volumes tracing Ford's life from high school through his first post-Presidential years. Includes local and national newspaper and magazine clippings; foreign news clippings (vols. 59, 60, 65); programs, certificates, campaign buttons and other memorabilia; photographs; and scattered letters, notes, and other documents. Items which have come unglued are now in boxes 1‑22 of the series described below. Most but not all of these volumes and their loose items have been microfilmed.

Arranged in rough chronological order, but there are anomalies. The careful researcher will want to scan Appendix A.

1-50 Unbound Scrapbook Items, 1949-Present

Scrapbook material similar to that described above. Boxes 1‑22, for the period 1949‑79, consist of items that have come detached/unglued from the bound volumes above. In 1979, the Ford Office stopped placing materials in bound volumes and began sending them to the Library in loose form. These are in the later boxes.

Arranged chronologically. See Appendix B for box title list.

Reels 1-27 Scrapbook Microfilm Edition, 1929‑78

Microfilm edition of bound volume 1A‑70 and boxes 1‑22. However, these photo album volumes are not included: 38, 61, 64.

APPENDIX A List of Scrapbook Volumes

Volume Title Reel

1A 1929‑41, 1943 1

1B 1934‑48 1

1C Curbstone QB/Jaycees 1941 16

(California) Wedding 1948 1

2 1949‑50 1

3 Jan. 1951- April 1953 2

4 May 1953 - Dec. 1954 2

5 Jan. 1955 - March 1956 2

6 Feb. 1956 - Dec. 1956 3

7 Jan. 1957 - Dec. 1957 3

8 Jan. 1958 - Oct. 1958 3

9 Oct. 1958 - Aug. 1959 4

10 Aug. 1959 - Feb. 1960 4

11 Feb. 1960 - July 1960 4

12 July 1960 - Dec. 1960 5

13 Jan. 1961 - Dec. 1961 5

14 Jan. 1962 - July 1962 5

15 Aug. 1962 - Jan. 1963 6

16 Jan. 1963 - March 1964 6

17 April 1964 - Jan. 1965 7

18 Jan. 1965 - May 1965 7

19 June 1965 - Oct. 1965 8

Volume Title Reel

20 Nov 1965 - July 1966 8

21 Aug. 1966 - Feb. 1967 9

22 Feb. 1967 - Aug. 1967 9

23 Aug. 1967 - Dec. 1967 10

24 Jan. 1968 - March 1968 10

25 March 1968 - Aug. 1968 11

26 Sept. 1968 - March 1969 11

27 March 1969 - Sept. 1969 12

28 Sept. 1969 - April 1970 12

29 May 1970 - Dec. 1970 13

30 Jan. 1971 - May 1971 13

31 May 1971 - Nov. 1971 14

32 Nov. 1971 - June 1972 14

33 June 1972 - Nov. 1972 15

34 Nov. 1972 - April 1973 15

35 May 1973 - Oct. 1973 16

36 Portrait of the Assassin, 1965 7

37 Fifth District Campaign, 1972 15

38 Photos of staff interns, 1970-73 not

filmed

39 Oct. 1973 - Dec. 1973 17

40 Dec. 1973 - Feb. 1974 17

41 Feb. 1974 - Aug. 8, 1974 18

Volume Title Reel

42 Aug. 1974 19

43 Aug. 1974 - Sept. 1974 19

44 Sept. 1974 - Oct. 1974 19

45 Oct. 1974 19

46 Oct. 1974 - Nov. 1974 19

47 Nov. 1974 - Dec. 1974 19

48 Jan. - Feb. 1975 20

49 Feb. - April 1975 20

50 May - July 1975 21

51 July - Sept. 1975 21

52 Sept. - Nov. 1975 22

53 Nov. 1975 - March 1976 23

54 March - June 1976 23

55 June - Aug. 1976 24

56 Sept. - Oct. 1976 24

57 Misc. Aug 1974 - Oct. 1975 27

58 Grand Rapids Press Aug. 1974-Jan. 1976 26

59 Foreign Press Oct. 1974 - Sept. 1975 26

60 Far East Trip, 1975 (China, Indonesia, 22

Philippines, Hawaii)

61 Photo album not

filmed

62 Invitations, awards, programs 1974‑76 (See

boxes 18, 19) 27

Volume Title Reel

63 Miscellaneous Oct. 1975 - April 1976 27

64 Photo album not filmed

65 Foreign press Oct. 1975 - Aug. 1976 26

66 Miscellaneous, April 1976 - Dec. 1978 27

67 Grand Rapids Press Jan. 1976-Aug.1978 26

68 Invitations, awards, programs 1976‑78 (See

boxes 20, 21) 27

69 June 1977 - Dec. 1978 25

70 Oct. 1976 - May 1977 24A

APPENDIX B

Container List of Unbound Scrapbook Items

Container Contents

1 1949 - April 1955

2 May 1955 - June 1959

3 July 1959 - May 1960

4 June 1960 - June 1961

5 July 1961 - February 1964

6 March 1964 - June 1965

7 July 1965 - June 1967

8 July 1967 - May 1968

9 June 1968 - December 1968

10 January 1969 - June 1970

11 July 1970 - August 1971

12 September 1971 - September 1972

13 October 1972 - February 1973

14 March 1973 - September 1973

15 October 1973 - July 1974

16 August 1974 - March 1975 (Look at Finland)

17 Miscellaneous Items, 1976

18 Invitations and Programs - Volume 62 (Nov. 1974-May 1975)

19 Invitations and Programs - Volume 62 (June 1975-July 1976)

20 Invitations and Programs - Volume 68 (May 1976-Oct. 1976)

21 Invitations and Programs - Volume 68 (Nov. 1977-Jan. 1979)

Container Contents

22 Undated 1977 - November 1978

23 December 1978 - March 1979

24 April 1979 - May 1979

25 June 1979 - September 1979

26 October 1979 - February 1980

27 March 1980 - June 1980

28 July 1980 - September 1980

29 September 1980 - Undated 1981

30 January 1981 - April 1981

31 May 1981 - September 1981

32 September 1981 - December 1981

33 January 1982 - March 1982

34 April 1982 - August 1982

35 September 1982 - December 1982

36 January 1983 - February 1983

37 March 1983 - May 1983

38 June 1983 - September 1983

39 October 1983 - December 1983

40 January 1984 - February 1984

41 March 1984 - June 1984

42 July 1984 - September 1984

43 October 1984 - December 1984

44 January 1985 - March 1985

Container Contents

45 April 1985 - July 1985

46 August 1985 - October 1985

47 November 1985 - January 1986

48 February 1986 - May 1986

49 June 1986 - August 1986

50 September 1986 - December 1986

APPENDIX C

Contents of Scrapbook Microfilm Edition

Reel Scrapbook Dates Total Frames

1 1A 1929‑41, 1943 534

1B 1934‑48

-- Wedding, 1948

2 1949‑50

2 3 January 1951 - April 1953 631

4 May 1953 - December 1954

5 January 1955 - March 1956

3 6 February 1956 - December 1956 472

7 January 1957 - December 1957

8 January 1958 - October 1958

4 9 October 1958 - August 1959 552

10 August 1959 - February 1960

11 February 1960 - July 1960

5 12 July 1960 - December 1960 609

13 January 1961 - December 1961

14 January 1962 - July 1962

6 15 August 1962 - January 1963 641

16 January 1963 - March 1964

7 17 April 1964 - January 1965 533

18 January 1965 - May 1965

36 Portrait of the Assassin, 1965‑66

8 19 June 1965 - October 1965 521

20 November 1965 - July 1966

9 21 August 1966 - February 1967 550

22 February 1967 - August 1967

10 23 August 1967 - December 1967 474

24 January 1968 - March 1968

11 25 March 1968 - August 1968 645

26 September 1968 - March 1969

12 27 March 1969 - September 1969 621

28 September 1969 - April 1970

Reel Scrapbook Dates Total Frames

13 29 May 1970 - December 1970 511

30 January 1971 - May 1971

14 31 May 1971 - November 1971 544

32 November 1971 - June 1972

15 33 June 1972 - November 1972 589

37 Fifth District Campaign, 1972

34 November 1972 - April 1973

16 35 May 1973 - October 1973 306

1C "Curbstone Quarterback" 1941

17 39 October 1973 - December 1973 695

40 December 1973 - February 1974

18 41 February 1974 - August 8, 1974 431

19 42 Clippings, Aug. 1974 648

43 Clippings, Aug. 1974 - Sept. 1974

44 Clippings, Sept. 1974 - Oct. 1974

45 Clippings, Oct. 1974

46 Clippings, Oct. 1974 - Nov. 1974

47 Clippings, Nov. 1974 - Dec. 1974

20 48 Clippings, Jan. 1975 - Feb. 1975 524

49 Clippings, Feb. 1975 - April 1975

21 50 Clippings, May 1975 - July 1975 699

51 Clippings, July 1975 - Sept. 1975

22 52 Clippings, Sept. 1975 - Nov. 1975 519

60 Far East Trip, Nov. - Dec. 1975

23 53 Clippings, Nov. 1975 - March 1976 515

54 Clippings, March 1976 - June 1976

24 55 Clippings, Jun 1976 - Aug. 1976 863

56 Clippings, Aug 1976 - Oct. 1976

24A 70 Clippings, Oct. 1976 - May 1977 494

25 69 Clippings, June 1977 - Dec. 1978 479

Reel Scrapbook Dates Total Frames

26 58 Grand Rapids Press 877

Aug. 1974 - January 1976

67 Grand Rapids Press

Jan. 1976 - August 1978

59 Foreign News Articles

June 1974 - Sept. 1975

65 Foreign News Articles

Sept. 1975 - Aug. 1976

27 62 Invitations and Programs 536

August 1974 - July 1976

68 Invitations and Programs

May 1976 - January 1979

57 Miscellaneous Items

August 1974 - October 1975

63 Miscellaneous Items

October 1975 - April 1976

66 Miscellaneous Items

April 1976 - December 1978