Vice President Ford in Alexandria
December 1973 - August 1974

Ford became Vice President on December 6, 1973, after the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew. At the time, the U. S. Naval Observatory was being readied as a new Vice President’s residence, but the Ford family remained at Crown View Drive, living in their own home, as had former Vice Presidents. Alterations were quickly made to the house to accommodate Secret Service protection. The garage was converted into a room for use by the Secret Service, numerous phone lines were installed, bulletproof glass was placed in the master bedroom windows, and steel rods were placed under the driveway to support the armored limousine.

In 1974, when his son Steven was attending T. C. Williams, Vice President Ford delivered the keynote address to the graduating class.

Ford’s short tenure as Vice President, and his family’s 23 years as Alexandria residents, ended in August 1974 when he became President of the United States upon Nixon’s resignation.