College Academics
Ford's college transcript, scan courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library
Jerry Ford studied economics at the University of Michigan, taking 33 hours of coursework. He also completed 23 hours of study in history, mostly in American political history. Finally, Ford added 12 hours of business administration and six hours of political science. Ford finished with 120 hours of classroom instruction, earning a B average.
His freshman year was crowded with 30 hours of English, French, math, and history. Geometry, trigonometry, and Western Civilization presented him with few problems. Second semester French, however, brought him his first (and last) D. Ford carried 31 hours his sophomore year, where he studied the fundamentals of economics and the formation of the US constitution.
In his junior year, Ford concentrated on economics, taking 15 hours of courses that reviewed banking history, the challenges of wage earners, and the fundamentals of double-entry accounting. He also studied the history of the American South and American government, both national and state.
Ford loaded his senior year with economic courses in industrial relations, wages, and the economic doctrines of radical and conservative political systems. He also studied the organization of corporations and took basic business courses along with a course in recent US history.
