Claim: As a result of a mid-term vacancy, Gerald Ford succeeded to office.
Evidence: Gerald Rudolph Ford , Jr. -LRB- born Leslie Lynch King , Jr. ; July 14 , 1913 -- December 26 , 2006 -RRB- was an American politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 , following the resignation of Richard Nixon.