38th President Played Key Roles In Agency's History

He was, many say, the right man for the right time. Somewhat quiet, careful in his speech, and mindful of his role in the history of the United States, Gerald Ford did not ask for the presidency... but it was thrust upon him, when Richard Nixon left the office in disgrace.

Gerald Ford served as the nation's 38th president for just over two years, in very troubled times. Many historians agree, however, President Ford will above all be remembered for his fundamental decency, and his optimism about what people can accomplish in the pursuit of ambitious goal.

That belief was especially important to those at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration... who say President Ford also played an important role in the exploration of space.

"As we celebrate our bicentennial year of independence, the great American adventure continues," President Ford said during the 1976 bicentennial celebration. "The hallmark of that adventure has always been an eagerness to explore the unknown, whether it lay across an ocean or a continent, across the vastness of space or the frontiers of human knowledge."

"Because we have always been ready to try new and untested enterprises in government, in commerce, in the arts and sciences and in human relations, we have made unprecedented progress in all of these fields..." said the President. [T]he American adventure is a continuing process... As we begin our third century there is still so much to be done."

As a member of the House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration in 1958, then-Congressman Ford helped draft the original Space Act that gave NASA its charter. During his presidency, he celebrated the successful Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission.

"The day is not far off when space missions made possible by this first joint effort will be more or less commonplace," the President noted. 

President Ford also saluted the landings of the twin Viking robotic explorers on Mars, saying on the occasion of the first landing, "Our achievements in space represent not only the height of technological skill, they also reflect the best in our country -- our character, the capacity for creativity and sacrifice, and a willingness to reach into the unknown."

Indeed.

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gf38.html