President Gerald Ford served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He became president after Richard Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. Ford was the only president in U.S. history who was never elected to the office, as he was appointed as vice president and then ascended to the presidency. Before his presidency, Ford was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 25 years. He is known for his efforts to heal the nation after the turmoil of the Nixon administration, including his controversial decision to grant a pardon to Nixon for any crimes committed while in office.