letter of resignation

Jerald Franklin terHorst (born July 11, 1922) was the first person to serve as press secretary for U.S. President Gerald Ford. TerHorst served in that capacity for one month (August 9–September 8, 1974) before resigning in the wake of President Ford's announcement that he would pardon former president Richard Nixon for any possible crimes connected with the Watergate scandal. At the time, the story that circulated was that terHorst had resigned because he had been blindsided by Ford's decision, having consistently denied to reporters in his daily press briefings that Ford had any intent of issuing a pardon. Once the pardon was issued, the story went, he (terHorst) felt that any credibility that he had had with reporters had been destroyed, and that he would subsequently be unable to function satisfactorily in the position of press secretary. However, as his letter of resignation and numerous personal statements in the years following clearly demonstrate, terHorst was ultimately moved to resign because he found Ford's decision unconscionable, especially in light of the President's refusal to pardon those who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.

Before being appointed press secretary, terHorst had been a newspaper reporter from Michigan who had covered Ford's career since 1948.

His permanent successor was NBC reporter Ron Nessen, who served until the end of the Ford Administration.

Personal

TerHorst was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 11, 1922. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946. After his military service, he worked as a reporter for the Grand Rapids Press (1946–1951). He returned to active duty with the Marine Corps in 1951–1952. He then joined the Detroit News, where he served as city and state political writer (1953–1957), Washington correspondent (1958–1960), and Washington Bureau Chief (1961–1974).

After his brief services as presidential press secretary, he returned to the Detroit News as a national affairs columnist (1974–1981). In 1981, he joined the Ford Motor Company as the Washington director of public affairs.

TerHorst is the author of Gerald Ford and the Future of the Presidency (1974) and co-author of The Flying White House: The Story of Air Force One (1979).

Resignation letter

September 8, 1974

Dear Mr. President:

Without a doubt this is the most difficult decision I ever have had to make. I cannot find words to adequately express my respect and admiration for you over the many years of our friendship and my belief that you could heal the wounds and serve our country in this most critical time in our nation’s history. Words also cannot convey my appreciation for the opportunity to serve on your staff during the transitional days of your presidency and for the confidence and faith you placed in me in that regard. The Press Office has been restructured along professional lines. Its staff, from Deputy Press Secretary John W. Hushen down the line, is competent and dedicated and comprises loyal employees who have given unstintingly of their time and talents.

So it is with great regret, after long soul-searching, that I must inform you that I cannot in good conscience support your decision to pardon former President Nixon even before he has been charged with the commission of any crime. As your spokesman, I do not know how I could credibly defend that action in the absence of a like decision to grant absolute pardon to the young men who evaded Vietnam military service as a matter of conscience and the absence of pardons for former aides and associates of Mr. Nixon who have been charged with crimes - and imprisoned - stemming from the same Watergate situation. These are also men whose reputations and families have been grievously injured. Try as I can, it is impossible to conclude that the former President is more deserving of mercy than persons of lesser station in life whose offenses have had far less effect on our national wellbeing.

Thus it is with a heavy heart that I hereby tender my resignation as Press Secretary to the President, effective today. My prayers nonetheless remain with you, sir.

Sincerely,

Jerald F. terHorst

References

• "Jerald F terHorst, Press Secretary to the President: Files, 1974", in the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.

Further reading

• terHorst, Jerald F. Gerald Ford and the Future of the Presidency, New York: Third Press, 1974. (ISBN 0-89388-191-0)