0
Skip to Content
Ford Forum
Who We Are
About Us
Our Staff
Advisory Council
Gerald R. Ford Foundation
Fellowship Programs
About
Hill Staffers
College Students
High School Students
Become a Mentor
Events
Future Events
Past Events
Observer Essays
DONATE
Ford Forum
Who We Are
About Us
Our Staff
Advisory Council
Gerald R. Ford Foundation
Fellowship Programs
About
Hill Staffers
College Students
High School Students
Become a Mentor
Events
Future Events
Past Events
Observer Essays
DONATE
Folder: Who We Are
Back
About Us
Our Staff
Advisory Council
Gerald R. Ford Foundation
Folder: Fellowship Programs
Back
About
Hill Staffers
College Students
High School Students
Become a Mentor
Folder: Events
Back
Future Events
Past Events
Observer Essays
DONATE
The Divine Economy of the Pardon Power
Featured Kody W. Cooper 7/11/24 Featured Kody W. Cooper 7/11/24

The Divine Economy of the Pardon Power

A 25-year-old Japanese American girl from Los Angeles, with a talented voice for broadcasting on the radio.

Read More
The Impeachment Power
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 7/11/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 7/11/24

The Impeachment Power

As we head deeper into this troublesome election season, we can’t help but notice the paradox that voters are discontented with the two candidates for president that they themselves have chosen.

Read More
The Otis Family and the Revolution: On Just Missing Out
Heritage Kirstin Anderson Birkhaug 7/11/24 Heritage Kirstin Anderson Birkhaug 7/11/24

The Otis Family and the Revolution: On Just Missing Out

Most Americans know the mythology of the American Founding—its key events, characters, and narrative arc.

Read More
The Pursuit of Happiness
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 7/4/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 7/4/24

The Pursuit of Happiness

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The substitution of “the pursuit of happiness” for “property” in this famous triumvirate may be simultaneously the most inspiring and most troubling rhetorical move in American history.

Read More
What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?
Heritage Jeff Polet 7/4/24 Heritage Jeff Polet 7/4/24

What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?

This week’s Heritage Essay is a little longer than usual, mostly because of the length of the speech excerpted, but also because of the importance of the topic and the interesting way in which it is handled.

Read More
Remarks of Gerald R. Ford in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Bicentennial Celebration)
Featured President Gerald R. Ford 7/3/24 Featured President Gerald R. Ford 7/3/24

Remarks of Gerald R. Ford in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Bicentennial Celebration)

On Washington's birthday in 1861, a fortnight after six States had formed a confederacy of their own, Abraham Lincoln came here to Independence Hall knowing that in 10 days he would face the cruelest national crisis of our 85-year history.

Read More
Virtue and the Legacy of Muhammad Ali
Featured John Wood, Jr. 6/27/24 Featured John Wood, Jr. 6/27/24

Virtue and the Legacy of Muhammad Ali

Ours was a boxing household. As a boy growing up in the 1990’s, I may have read the majority of boxing magazines published in America between the years 1970 and 1995.

Read More
The Flags of the Tribe
Heritage Jeff Polet 6/27/24 Heritage Jeff Polet 6/27/24

The Flags of the Tribe

We’ve been writing a series of essays on the importance of symbols in political life, with a special focus on the flag as an avatar of the nation.

Read More
The State of the University
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/27/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/27/24

The State of the University

One of the more interesting developments of the last five years (or so) has been the creation of independent content delivery systems that allow authors to bypass corporate control of news and information.

Read More
Forty-Nine Ways To Fix the World (Hint: Start Locally)
Review and Reflection Timothy Kilbourn 6/20/24 Review and Reflection Timothy Kilbourn 6/20/24

Forty-Nine Ways To Fix the World (Hint: Start Locally)

Crisis at the border. You fear the other guy will win the November election.

Read More
More Thoughts on the Flag
Heritage Jeff Polet 6/20/24 Heritage Jeff Polet 6/20/24

More Thoughts on the Flag

Last week I discussed the importance of symbols in political life, and of the flag in particular.

Read More
On the 150th Anniversary of His Birth: A Celebration of G. K. Chesterton
Featured Joseph Pearce 6/20/24 Featured Joseph Pearce 6/20/24

On the 150th Anniversary of His Birth: A Celebration of G. K. Chesterton

At the end of last month, on May 29, lovers of literature celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of G. K. Chesterton, one of the greatest and most influential writers of the twentieth century.

Read More
Remembering Dwight David Eisenhower, Part 2: The Presidential Years
Heritage, Review and Reflection, Featured Phillip G. Henderson 6/13/24 Heritage, Review and Reflection, Featured Phillip G. Henderson 6/13/24

Remembering Dwight David Eisenhower, Part 2: The Presidential Years

Dwight David Eisenhower was known as a man of dispassionate and independent judgment.

Read More
The Strange Place of the Pledge of Allegiance
Heritage Jeff Polet 6/13/24 Heritage Jeff Polet 6/13/24

The Strange Place of the Pledge of Allegiance

In 1988, Michael Dukakis, the Democrat’s nominee for president, faced a crisis.

Read More
Symbols and American Politics
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/13/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/13/24

Symbols and American Politics

Tomorrow, June 14th, is Flag Day. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

Read More
Eisenhower's Farewell Address
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/6/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/6/24

Eisenhower's Farewell Address

We’ve argued repeatedly in this space that part of Washington’s greatness as president was his willingness to walk away from power, even in circumstances where the opportunity to expand power was handed to him.

Read More
On Courage
Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/6/24 Review and Reflection Jeff Polet 6/6/24

On Courage

In my essay last week I talked about my ambivalent reaction to the movie Saving Private Ryan. Although visually powerful, I found the story full of holes and the overall moral framework poorly constructed.

Read More
Remembering Dwight David Eisenhower on D-Day*
Featured Phillip G. Henderson 6/6/24 Featured Phillip G. Henderson 6/6/24

Remembering Dwight David Eisenhower on D-Day*

June 6, 2024 marks the eightieth anniversary of the most important military operation in American history. 

Read More
Lincoln and the Commemoration of War
Heritage Jeff Polet 5/30/24 Heritage Jeff Polet 5/30/24

Lincoln and the Commemoration of War

Presidents are largely defined by how they deal with crises, and no president had to deal with a greater crisis than did Abraham Lincoln.

Read More
Public Service Requires Sacrifice
Featured James Patterson 5/30/24 Featured James Patterson 5/30/24

Public Service Requires Sacrifice

My family has a long history of public service. Several family members, including my dad, served in the U.S Army during World War II and the Korean War.

Read More
Newer Posts
Older Posts

Gerald R. Ford Leadership Forum
303 Pearl St. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Contact Us

Connect with Us

X

LinkedIn
Instagram

Stay up to date on our latest stories and events!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Learn More

Events
Education
Who We Are

Privacy Policy