Latest / Nebraska History Podcast / Born a King, Raised a Ford: The Early Life of President Gerald R. Ford

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Born a King, Raised a Ford: The Early Life of President Gerald R. Ford · Nebraska History Podcast

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The following episode features a historic article from the
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Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
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language and attitudes of its time, and, while it offers
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valuable insight into the past, may contend expressions or
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viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
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Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
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perspectives. Of the Nebraska State Historical
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Society. Welcome to the Nebraska History
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Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Goforth.
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Each episode we explore articles written and published in
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Nebraska History Magazine. Today we revisit the remarkable
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story of President Gerald Ford, born Leslie King Junior in a
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grand Omaha mansion and shaped by a turbulent family history.
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We explore how A twist of fate carried him from a wealthy but
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troubled Omaha legacy to a loving adoptive family through
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the 1987 Nebraska History Magazine article, President
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Gerald R4's Roots in Omaha, written by Edward L and
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Frederick H Shaps Meyer. Gerald R Ford once defined
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history as quote, river of circumstances whose currents and
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eddies take us through the present and drive us into the
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future with irresistible momentum.
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End Quote. This was certainly true in his
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case. Through an unpredictable set of
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circumstances that occurred during his infancy, Ford grew up
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under the guidance of a foster father in Grand Rapids, MI.
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He did not actually know until he was 17 years of age the
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identity of his real father or of his roots in Omaha.
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To what extent Gerald Ford's formative years were the primary
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product of heredity or of environment, or of the
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interaction between them, we may never fully know.
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Gerald R Ford Junior was born in Omaha on July 14th, 1913 to
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Dorothy and Leslie Lynch King. The newly born son was
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christened Leslie Lynch King Junior.
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He seemed to have inherited this world under the best
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environmental and economic circumstances.
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The place of his birth was a magnificent 15 room 3 story
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Victorian style mansion located at 32 O 2 Woolworth Ave. in an
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elite neighborhood near downtown Omaha.
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Leslie Senior had many shortcomings as a husband and
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father, but he was physically very handsome.
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The young man was tall and broad shouldered, with sandy hair and
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blue eyes. Leslie Senior was also the
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general manager of the Omaha Wool and Storage Company at a
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generous salary for the time of $2500 per year.
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But more important in terms of wealth and social standing was
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the fact that Leslie Senior's father, Charles Henry King, was
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a multimillionaire. Charles King was founder and
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president of the Omaha Wool and Storage Company and the owner of
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the Woolworth Mansion, which had been his birthplace.
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Charles Henry King's fortune, reputed at one time to be $20
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million, was amassed because of his many successful
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entrepreneurial enterprises in Nebraska and Wyoming.
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Chapter, as he was known to business associates, was born in
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Pennsylvania on March 13th, 1853.
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In 1884, he and his wife, Martha Alice, moved to Nebraska and
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settled in a sparsely populated region in Dos County.
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Their home nestled along the White River in an area that was
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shortly to become the fledging town of Shadrin.
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As a sort of merchant pioneer, King first began to trade with
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the Indians and then started a general store known as Chapter
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King's Mercantile. A shrewd businessman, he
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anticipated the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern
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Railroad network in the Shadrin and the nearby Wyoming
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Territory. Thus he constantly expanded his
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commercial enterprises. Eventually, King owned a string
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of general stores, lumber yards, banks, wool trading companies, a
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freight hauling business, and much real estate strategically
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located where the railroad access ensured the founding of
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future towns and cities. It was on July 25th, 1886, when
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Shadrin was barely recognizable as a community, that Leslie
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Lynch was born. By the turn of the century,
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chapter King was a Baron among wool traders and a merchant king
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in western Nebraska. He was also known as one of the
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wealthiest men in Wyoming, which became a state in 1890.
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Ambitious and eager to seize new opportunities, King shifted his
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business headquarters to Omaha in 19 O 5 because it was the
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eastern terminal of the Union Pacific Railroad, with many
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other roads making their way to their western terminal, Chapter
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viewed Omaha as a city with a great future.
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With a reputation as an energetic but honest
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businessman, he found it relatively easy to raise large
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Subs of capital for new, profitable ventures.
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In 19 O eight, with a capital fund of $100,000, the Omaha Wool
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and Storage Company was founded by Chapter King with himself as
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president. His son, Leslie Senior, who owns
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stock in the company, was named general manager.
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Their huge warehouse, 1200 feet long and 150 feet high and
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covered with the corrugated iron roof, was conveniently located
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so that the Union Pacific ran a sidetrack up to its loading
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dock. Within a year, wool was being
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shipped into Omaha from western Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado,
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Montana, Idaho and South Dakota. Not content with just one
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successful business, Chapter also started and served
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president of three other commercial firms.
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One, the Chapter King Company dealt in wholesale food
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merchandising. As one of the premier
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businessmen of Omaha, the elder King entertained royally in his
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luxurious home with its ornately decorated ballroom.
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Just why Chapter King decided in 1913 to move from Omaha to
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Glendale, CA is not clear. Health problems may have been a
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factor since he did have some heart trouble.
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More likely, the breakup of his son's marriage played an
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important role. The court records of his son's
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divorce and the subsequent litigation suggest that Chapter
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may have been motivated to move from Omaha in an effort to
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assist his son to evade certain legal obligations resulting from
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these proceedings. If the elder King had a fault,
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and there seemed to be none relative to his business
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transactions per SE, it was his personal predilection to spoil
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and overindulge his son. In any case, this big time
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merchant and wool trader subsequently lived in Glendale
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until his death on February 27th, 1930.
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Although his accumulated fortune declined during the initial
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years of the Depression, he and later his wife left a
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considerable monetary legacy to Leslie Senior.
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Leslie Lynch King, Senior was married to Dorothy Eyre Gardner
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in Harvard, IL near Chicago on September 7th, 1912.
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Their son, Leslie Junior, who was to become Gerald Ford, was
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born 11 months later in 1913. The marriage of Dorothy and
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Leslie Senior lasted only about 5 months longer.
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On December 19th, 1913, Dorothy obtained a divorce from her
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husband on the grounds of extreme cruelty and was given
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sole custody of their only child, Leslie Junior, while
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granted visitation rights. Quote At all proper times and
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places. End Quote.
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Leslie Senior was also ordered by the court to pay the
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following sums of money, $3075 as alimony in lieu of Dorothy's
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household goods and personal possessions which he kept, $300
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in attorney fees, and child support of $25 per month until
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Leslie Junior attained his majority at age 21.
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The tangled tale of his divorce did not end with this judicial
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judgment. In fact, Leslie Senior had filed
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first for a divorce claiming his wife had abandoned him for no
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valid reason. In cross filing, Dorothy alleged
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that it was her husband who was abusive, went into frequent
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temper tantrums, use vile language, and on several
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occasions, while in fits of anger, resorted to physical
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abuse. Claiming to be a battered bride,
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she, not her husband, won the final divorce decree.
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But Leslie Senior, not willing to bow to the court's decision
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relative to the financial judgement imposed upon him,
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quickly fled from the State of Nebraska to Riverton, WY.
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By changing his legal residence, he evidently intended to avoid
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paying future child support by getting beyond the jurisdiction
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of the Douglas County, Nebraska court.
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In addition to this devious ploy, Leslie Senior claimed that
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he was now without income since his father had discharged him
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from his job as manager of the Omaha Wool and Storage Company,
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that his stock in the company had been surrendered to his
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father in lieu of debts owed by him to Chapter King, and to
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compensate for overdrawn accounts relative to the
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business. He transferred the personal
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property of his wife to his father to settle the obligation.
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Over the years, Leslie senior stayed out of the State of
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Nebraska so that he could not be served with papers relative to
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non payment of alimony and child support by claiming the Douglas
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County District Court had no legal jurisdiction over him.
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He refused consistently to honor summons transmitted to him in
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Wyoming or to fulfill the financial obligations which now
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were accrued with interest repeatedly reaffirmed by the
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court decrees. Leslie Senior, in the meantime,
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eloped with Margaret Atwood in Reno, NV, in 1919.
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They subsequently had three children, Patricia, Marjorie,
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and Leslie. Henry, nicknamed Bud.
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Gerald Ford, would one day meet his half brother and half
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sisters. Although he was cordial towards
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them, Ford never regarded them as intimate members of his
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family circle. After receiving her divorce,
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Dorothy Gardner King moved back to Harvard, IL with her parents.
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When the latter moved to Grand Rapids, MI shortly thereafter,
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Dorothy and her six month old son went with them.
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She subsequently met a handsome bachelor named Gerald R Ford at
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a social function at Grace Episcopal Church.
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They were married on February 1st, 1916.
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Ford, who soon opened a paint factory, was a church vestry
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man, active in civic affairs, and belonged to such fraternal
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organizations as the Masons, Shriners, and Elks.
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For many years he served as a Scout Master and became active
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in politics, eventually becoming chairman of the Kent County
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Republicans. After two years of marriage,
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Gerald R Ford legally adopted Leslie Junior and renamed him
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Gerald R Ford Junior. Gerald Senior proved to be a
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loving husband and an exceedingly fine father.
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Dorothy bore him three additional sons, Thomas,
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Richard, and James. These younger half brothers who
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did not know Gerald Junior was adopted, always looked up to him
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and admired him as their older brother.
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Gerald Senior, whom Gerald Junior regarded as the only
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father I ever knew, was described as kind, fair and firm
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in bringing up his four sons. Jerry Ford later recalled of his
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formative years. Quote my stepfather and mother,
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The environment they created was you darn well better tell the
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truth and live an honest life if you don't want to pay a penalty
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down the road. End Quote.
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He also remembered the stern injunction of his stepfather.
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Quote. Work hard and make something of
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yourself, Speak the truth and never be late for supper.
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End Quote. As a result of the splendid
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upbringing he received, Jerry Ford always identified with the
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Fords of Grand Rapids and not the Kings of Omaha as President
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of the United States. While sitting in the Oval Office
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dedicating a letter, Ford described his deep seated
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personal feelings upon learning the truth about his real father,
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he reminisced quote. Although taken aback momentarily
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after meeting my real father and learning of my adoption, it did
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not make a change in the life with my family that I know I
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loved and was guided in life by the only father I ever had,
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Gerald R Ford Senior. There was never any longing on
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my part to seek a family outside the one which I was raised with
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such love, tenderness and happiness.
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End Quote. This responsible role of Gerald
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R Ford Senior as a parent contrasted sharply with the
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irresponsibility of Leslie King Senior.
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It is for this reason that President Ford would fondly
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boast Quote. It is with pride that I say I am
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from Grand Rapids. End Quote.
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And unfortunately for Nebraskans, not Omaha, King's
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wealthy, carefree lifestyle might have produced a different
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type of Gerald Ford Junior. Margaret Atwood, the second
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missus, Leslie L King admitted. Quote I know Leslie King, the
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son I married, was spoiled. End Quote.
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This characterization was likewise that of those who knew
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him and remembered Leslie Senior as a rich man's son with a
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reputation as a Playboy. In addition, Missus Leslie King
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recollected that just before their marriage, her husband,
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quote, told me that he'd been married and divorced and had a
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small son living with his former wife in the Midwest.
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But after we were married, he never brought up the subject
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again. I don't know if he ever paid any
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child support or alimony or anything.
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If he did, he certainly kept it a secret.
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End Quote Mrs. King recalled that when she and her husband
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were traveling by train in 1830 from Riverton, WY, to Detroit to
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purchase a new Lincoln automobile, Leslie suddenly
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announced to her quote, I'm going to look up that son of
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mine. He must be 16 or 17 by now, and
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I'm going to ask him if he wants to move in with us.
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End Quote. At the time, Missus King voiced
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no opposition to this surprising suggestion that after many years
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without any contact, they should invite this son to live with
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them on their large ranch in Wyoming.
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In his memoirs, former President Ford recounts that memorable and
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traumatic day when for the first time he met and came to realize
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that Leslie Senior was his real father.
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The young Ford, then 17 and a junior at South High School in
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Grand Rapids, was working at his part time job as a waiter that
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noon at the Bill Scoogas Dairy shop.
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Jerry was stunned when a stranger walked up to him at the
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counter and announced, quote, I'm Leslie King, your father.
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End Quote. Jerry Ford was in a state of
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shock but consented to have lunch with Leslie King who
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introduced him to his wife and four year old daughter.
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Patricia Ford had never been told that he was an adopted son,
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a practice that was then common, so it was difficult for him to
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comprehend having a father other than Gerald R Ford Senior.
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Recalling the incident in his memoirs, President Ford wrote
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quote. Nothing could erase the image I
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gained of my real father that day.
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A carefree, well to do man who didn't really give a damn about
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the hopes and dreams of his first born son.
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When I went to bed that night I broke down and cried.
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End Quote. The poignant aspect of the
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situation was far greater than Jerry Ford realized at the time.
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His biological father, who had never before bothered to visit
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him or to write, had, unknown to the young Ford, been the target
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of continuous court litigation in an attempt to force him to
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pay child support and other money due to Dorothy, in which
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he was in arrears by deliberate default.
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This was at a time when Leslie Senior, already a wealthy man,
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had inherited $50,000 in cash from Chapter King after the
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latter's death. Considering Leslie Seniors
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prosperous financial status, he did own King Investment Company,
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a ranch in Riverton, and a lumber yard in Casper.
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It was really a trite gesture to give his son a $20 bill upon
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departing from Grand Rapids to pick up his new Lincoln Zephyr
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in Detroit. The first time Jerry Ford ever
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saw his half sister, Marjorie, and half brother, Leslie Henry
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was in 1936. Ford, then an assistant football
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coach at Yale University, got a summer job as a forest Ranger at
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Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming.
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Ford took the initiative, perhaps motivated by curiosity
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or a feeling of obligation, to visit his father's ranch in
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Riverton. He stayed for two days.
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Many years later, Marjorie Ford's half sister, who was then
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a junior in high school, reminisced about meeting this
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attractive half brother whom she previously had never seen.
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Jerry was athletic and billed, Tall, blonde, blue eyed and
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possessed broad shoulders, He was extraordinarily handsome in
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his dapper Ranger uniform and riding boots.
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She remembered being captivated by his presence.
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Quote. I sort of hero worshipped Jerry
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that summer. He was the big man from Yale.
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We used to take long walks in Riverton together before he went
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to Yellowstone. He was understanding and
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sympathetic and I was a wide eyed teenager.
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I always remember him with fondness and kindness.
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He looks just like our father. End Quote.
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It is not clear from available records whether Leslie Senior
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helped get Jerry the summer position at Yellowstone so his
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son could meet his family, or whether, as Ford recalled,
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Senator Arthur Vanderberg from Michigan used his influence with
17:49
the National Park Service to get him the job.
17:52
Likewise, Ford later indicated that he did meet his real father
17:56
from time to time, but how many times or where, it's unclear.
18:00
There is some evidence to indicate that Leslie senior once
18:03
took his family to a Yale University football game to
18:06
watch Jerry perform coaching activities.
18:09
Leslie King was an avid football fan and seemed to revel in the
18:12
athletic accomplishments of his first son.
18:15
In 1939, Leslie senior made the mistake of taking a trip to
18:20
Lincoln, NE where, due to an outstanding warrant for contempt
18:24
of court stemming from his long and obstinate refusal to pay,
18:28
the court ordered financial support for his son and other
18:30
related assessments. He was arrested and hailed in
18:33
jail pending the final disposition of the matter.
18:37
He was cited for quote, contempt, negligence and
18:40
misconduct. End Quote.
18:42
On this occasion, despite pleas by Leslie Senior that he had,
18:46
quote, no property or assets, End Quote, and was, quote,
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suffering from asthma, End Quote, the Nebraska court
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maintained physical custody of him and rejected his arguments.
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He was subsequently decreed that he had fraudulently transferred
19:01
goods to Chapter King and that his departed father had in fact
19:05
acted in collusion with him to defraud Dorothy of her rightful
19:09
property. The amount of money settled upon
19:11
by both parties to satisfy back payments that were due plus
19:14
interest totaled $4000. Leslie Lynch, King Senior
19:19
finally paid that sum to gain release from court custody.
19:23
So it was that 23 years after the divorce had taken place and
19:28
Jerry Ford was 26 years of age, Leslie Senior was forced to meet
19:32
his obligations as a father. The final chapter in Leslie
19:37
Senior's life was not a particularly happy 1.
19:40
He sold his ranch in Riverton and moved briefly to Akron, OH.
19:45
Because he suffered so badly from asthma, the final year of
19:48
his life was spent in Tucson, AZ.
19:51
There he succumbed to his illness at the age of 55.
19:54
He died February 18th, 1941 and was buried next to his father,
19:59
Chapter King, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA.
20:04
Margaret Atwood King, Leslie Senior's second wife, later
20:07
remarried. Her second husband was Roy
20:10
Mather, a copy editor for the Los Angeles Times.
20:14
The former King home on Woolworth Ave. in Omaha was
20:17
eventually converted into an apartment building.
20:20
In 1971. A fire destroyed the structure
20:23
and the charred remains were raised shortly thereafter.
20:27
For two years, the empty lot was left vacant to grow weeds and
20:31
attract litter. It was in 1973, when Gerald R
20:35
Ford became vice president, that Omaha businessman James Paxson
20:39
bought the lot for $17,000 and donated it to the city.
20:44
Fortunately, he realized its historical significance a year
20:48
later when Ford became president.
20:50
Paxson further contributed $250,000 to a fund for the
20:54
creation of a proposed Gerald R Ford Birthplace Memorial Park.
21:00
Senator Roman Ruska from Nebraska joined forces with
21:03
James Paxson to initiate a contest to pick a design for the
21:08
park and thereby draw public attention to the project.
21:11
The first prize was $1000 and the winner was 21 year old
21:15
student Gary L Dubras of the University of Nebraska's School
21:19
of Agriculture. His well devised plan called for
21:23
a multi level flower garden surrounded by ponderosa Pines so
21:27
it would blend in with Hanscom Park across the street.
21:30
In the center stood A gazebo walk in with columns similar to
21:34
the North Portico of the White House.
21:36
A glass display held Ford memorabilia including a small
21:40
scale model of the original King House and 1 brick salvage from
21:44
the foundation where the remains of the structure were leveled.
21:48
Gerald R Ford visited the empty but cleaned up site when he was
21:52
Vice President. Since the park was not completed
21:55
during his tenure as President, Ford never saw it while he was
21:59
in the White House. He was present, however, at its
22:02
dedication on September 21st, 1977.
22:06
The flowers were in bloom, the fountain flowing, and the
22:09
American flag flew from a permanent fixture.
22:13
Later, on July 12th, 1980, a portion of the grounds was set
22:17
aside as the Ford Rose Garden in honor of former First Lady Betty
22:21
Ford. Annually, a migrate of tourists
22:25
leave the Gerald R Ford Expressway to visit the Gerald R
22:28
Ford Birthplace Memorial Park, located at the corner of 32nd
22:32
and Woolworth Ave. in Omaha. No doubt many who gaze at the
22:36
beautifully landscaped birth site of Gerald Ford, the only
22:39
president thus far to have been born in Nebraska, are not fully
22:43
cognizant of all the strange ramifications of the King
22:47
connection in Ford's life. On a sardonic note, it is true
22:51
that Leslie Lynch, King senior, would not be remembered if he
22:54
had not ignored his first son for so many years.
22:58
The final twist of irony is that whereas the King family lost a
23:02
president from their legacy, the state of Nebraska gained claim
23:06
to 1. Thank you for listening to the
23:08
Nebraska History Podcast. To learn more about Nebraska
23:12
History Magazine, to listen to more podcasts, or to support the
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podcast by becoming a member of the Nebraska State Historical
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Society, go to history.nebraska.gov/podcast.
23:23
And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and get notified
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when we release a new episode every other Thursday on your
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favorite podcast platform. Until next time, I'm Chris
23:33
Goforth.