Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library |
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| General information | |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°17′16″N 83°42′45″W / 42.28781°N 83.712516°W |
| Named for | Gerald R. Ford |
| Construction started | January 15, 1979 |
| Inaugurated | Dedicated on April 27, 1981 |
| Cost | $4.3 million |
| Management | National Archives University of Michigan |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) |
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is a special place in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is located on the north campus of the University of Michigan. This library keeps important papers, photos, and videos from the life and time of Gerald Ford. He was the president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is part of a bigger system. This system is run by the National Archives and Records Administration. It helps preserve American history.
How the Library Started
Gerald Ford began his career in the United States Congress. In 1965, he started giving his congressional papers to the Bentley Historical Library. This library is at the University of Michigan, where he went to college.
As his time as president was ending, Ford decided to donate his presidential materials. He wanted them to be in a special library built on the university's campus. The National Archives would manage this new library.
Construction of the library began on January 15, 1979. It officially opened to the public on April 27, 1981.
Library and Museum
The Ford Library is unique among presidential libraries. It is the only one that is physically separate from its museum. Both places share the same director.
The Gerald R. Ford Museum is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This city was Ford's hometown and part of his old congressional district. Grand Rapids is about 130 miles west-northwest of Ann Arbor.
What's Inside the Collection?
The main part of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library's collection is made up of papers. These include documents from his time as president and from his White House staff. These papers cover the years 1974 to 1977.
The collection also includes papers from Betty Ford, his wife. There are also materials from before and after his presidency. Researchers can find interviews and other important papers. Various government records are also kept here.
In total, the collection holds a lot of history! It has about 3,500 hours of audio recordings. There are also 25 million pages of documents. You can find 3,500 hours of motion picture film. Plus, there are 450,000 photographs and 3,500 hours of video.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Presidencial de Gerald R. Ford para niños
- List of U.S. presidential libraries
- Presidential memorials in the United States
