bclement

Yellowstone

Did you know that President Ford is the only president (so far) to have worked as a National Park Service ranger?  During the summer of 1936, Ford served as a seasonal worker at Yellowstone National Park, assigned to Canyon Station.  This post left an indelible impression on the young man – so much so that his son Jack would follow in his footsteps when the opportunity arose.

In the book An Ordinary Man, Richard Norton Smith wrote: Recalled by his superiors as a ‘darned good ranger,’ Ford was as adept at battling forest fires as he was feeding grizzly bears before appreciative tourists.  (p. 73)

Gerald R. Ford, Jr., as a ranger at Yellowstone National Park in August 1936.
H14-04 / NAID: 186895
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

Ford visited the park again in 1976, touring the majestic site with Jack and Susan Ford, and reconnecting with Ranger Rep Wayne Replogle (a 1936 colleague).  During that trip, Ford pledged to more than double the National Park system’s budget if elected President.  

Box 37, “8/29/76 – Remarks at Old Faithful Lodge, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming” of the President’s Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
NAID: 1235011
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Photograph of President Gerald R. Ford, National Park Ranger Emeritus Wayne Repogle, and a national park ranger at Yellowstone National Park on August 29, 1976.
B1323-05 / NAID: 7518529
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
President Gerald R. Ford and others watching Old Faithful erupt during the President’s remarks at Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park on August 29, 1976.
B1326-12 / NAID: 45644229
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

Later in life, President Ford participated in an oral history with staff of the National Park Service.  Reflecting on his experiences as a park ranger, President Ford stated “…the experience of spending a summer in the gorgeous inspiration of Yellowstone Park was important.  …It’s something I really treasure.  And when I went back as President, it was a thrill, even though Canyon had changed considerably.  It wasn’t the same old rustic Canyon that we saw in 1936.” 

Author: Brooke Clement

5 comments

  1. I was at Canyon Station 2 weeks ago. A lot has since 1936. I sent photos to Geir Gundersen and Elizabeth Druga.

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