page_title: Inauguration of Gerald Ford
section_title: Nixon's farewell
hierarchical_section_title: Inauguration of Gerald Ford / Nixon's farewell
caption_attribution_description: English: Gerald and Betty Ford escort Richard and Pat Nixon from the White House to a waiting helicopter on August 9, 1974, following Nixon's resignation from the presidency.Français&#160;: Le nouveau président Gerald Ford et son épouse Betty Ford accompagnent l'ancien président américain Richard Nixon et son épouse Pat Nixon, après son discours de démission (1974).
context_page_description: The inauguration of Gerald Ford as the 38th President of the United States was held on Friday, August 9, 1974, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., following the resignation of Richard Nixon due to the Watergate scandal. The inauguration – the last non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place in the 20th century – marked the commencement of Gerald Ford's only term as President. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the oath of office. The Bible upon which Ford recited the oath was held by his wife, Betty Ford, open to Proverbs 3:5–6. Ford was the ninth vice president to succeed to the presidency intra-term, and he remains the most recent to do so.
  Although this was the ninth non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place since the presidency was established in 1789, it was the first to take place due to the president's resignation. Ford had only become Vice President eight months earlier, after the resignation of Spiro Agnew due to bribery allegations while serving as Governor of Maryland. He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
context_section_description: In a televised Oval Office speech on August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon, who was facing impeachment proceedings for his role in the Watergate scandal and alleged cover-up, announced to the nation that he would resign the Presidency of the United States "effective at noon tomorrow [August 9]." At 9:00 am the following morning, Nixon gave a farewell talk to an East Room assembly of White House staff and selected dignitaries, including the Cabinet and Vice President Ford. It was an emotional event, with President Nixon nearly breaking down a number of times. When it was finished, Vice President Ford escorted the President and First Lady to an Army helicopter, where the President waved his famous "v-sign" before flying off to Air Force One and a flight to "exile" in California. The nuclear codes were left with Ford.
caption: The Fords escort the Nixons across the South Lawn of the White House to Army One before Gerald Ford takes the oath of office, August 9, 1974
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