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Magazine, Celebration
Identifier:
2011.33.1Description:
Magazine documenting the first "Celebration on the Grand" in Grand Rapids in 1981.;The special edition magazine by the Grand Rapids Press documents the inaugural Celebration on the Grand event which took place in Grand Rapids September 14-19, 1981. During the festivities numerous prominent figures from the political and entertainment worlds visited Grand Rapids to attend the opening of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Two other major openings occurred that week as well for the new Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.Date:
1981Materials:
Printed, Paper, InkDimensions:
12" h 9" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageSource:
Gift Of Paul BakerRelated Entities:
Grand Rapids Press (creator)Alternate names: Evening Press, Evening Press and Leader
The history of the Grand Rapids Press began in 1890 when William J. Sproat published the first issue of Morning Press. In 1892, George G. Booth purchased both the Morning Press and the Grand Rapids Evening Leader and in December of that year, the Evening Press and Leader was formed by joining the two papers. In early 1893, the name was shortened to the Evening Press and was used until 1913 when the name changed to the Grand Rapids Press. The Grand Rapids Herald merged with the Press in 1959.
The Grand Rapids Press had five locations in the West Michigan area prior to moving production to Ohio in 2020. The first was at 63 Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan on the second floor of the Metropolitan building. These offices were used by the Press from 1890 to 1892 until they moved to offices on the southeast end of the Pearl Street Bridge. This location, often referred to as the "by the bridge" location, was the first to include a printing press owned by the newspaper. After a remodel in 1893 due to a spring flood, the tanbark gymnasium, dedicated as the Newsboys Assembly Hall in 1894, was built for the newsboys after their original space became home to a second printing press. In 1906 the Evening Press moved to the corner of Fulton and Sheldon in Grand Rapids, Michigan to accommodate the growth of the business. Built specifically for the Press, the building was designed by Albert Kahn and consisted of four floors including an auditorium on the top floor and a pool in the basement. The Press stayed at this location until 1966 when they moved to a new, larger facility at 155 Michigan Street in Grand Rapids. They stayed at this facility until a move to Walker, Michigan in 2004. This was the final Michigan location of the Press prior to moving production out of state in 2020.
The Grand Rapids Press is part of Booth Newspapers, a media company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Formed in 1914 by brothers George G. Booth, Ralph H. Booth, and Edmund W. Booth, it owned The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, The Saginaw News, and Advance Newspapers. Baker, Paul (donor) Gerald R. Ford (is related to)
Alternate names: Leslie Lynch King Jr.
Gerald R. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in Omaha Nebraska to Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King, Sr. In 1913, his mother moved with him to her parents’ home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and in that same year she gained full custody of her son. In 1916, Dorothy remarried Gerald Rudolff Ford, and in 1935, though not formally adopted, Leslie Jr. legally changed his name to Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr.
Ford was a member of The Boy Scouts of America, and is the only U.S. President to become an Eagle Scout. He grew up in the Heritage Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids and attended Grand Rapids South High School. As a star athlete, he was captain of his football team and was selected for the All-City Team. He was later recruited by the University of Michigan’s football team and played for the school in the 1930-1934 seasons. After graduating in the spring of 1935 with a degree in economics, he received offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. Instead, he took a coaching position at Yale and attended law school there. He graduated in 1941 and was admitted to the Michigan bar association that year.
After his schooling, Ford became an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He served from 1942-1946. He moved quickly through the ranks and resigned in 1946 as a Lieutenant Commander. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine engagement stars for his service, as well as the American Campaign and World War II Victory Medals. He returned to Grand Rapids after his service. In 1948, Ford married Elizabeth “Betty” Bloomer Warren at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. They had four children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan.
Ford was heavily involved in local Republican politics following his military service. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1949 and served there for 25 years, becoming House Minority Leader in 1965. In 1973, after Vice President Agnew resigned, President Nixon appointed Ford as his new Vice President. Less than a year later, in 1974, Nixon also resigned, making Ford President of the United States.
One of Ford’s first acts as president was the controversial pardoning of Nixon, issued in Proclamation 4311. Shortly after, he attempted to pardon Vietnam War “draft dodgers” through an amnesty program that required reaffirmation of allegiance and two years of public service work. Ford’s presidency was plagued with problems, including the end of the Vietnam War and the federal deficit that continued throughout his term. It is because of these problems and Ford’s pardons that he faced two assassination attempts in 1975. It is also likely the result of these issues that caused Ford to lose the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter.
After his presidency, Ford published his autobiography, A Time to Heal, and an anecdotal book, Humor and the Presidency. He maintained a friendship with his successor, Carter, and visited Washington often. He remained active in Republican politics, though being a vocal opponent to conservative colleagues’ anti-LGBT opinions and the war in Iraq.
At the 2000 Republican National Convention, Ford suffered two minor strokes. This triggered a slow decline in the president’s health and on December 26, 2006, Ford died in his home in Rancho Mirage, California, of coronary artery disease. He was 93 years old. His funeral and memorial services were held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and he was buried at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.