— Betty Ford, former First Lady
" President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country. On Aug. 9, 1974, after a long career in the House of Representatives and service as vice president, he assumed the presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division. With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency."
—President George W. Bush
" Ronnie and I always considered him a dear friend and close political ally. His accomplishments and devotion to our country are vast, and even long after he left the presidency he made it a point to speak out on issues important to us all."
— Nancy Reagan, widow of former President Ronald Reagan
“He frequently rose above politics by emphasizing the need for bipartisanship and seeking common ground on issues critical to our nation. I will always cherish the personal friendship we shared.”
—Former President Jimmy Carter
“President Ford was one of the kindest, most sincere elected officials whom I have known and with whom I have worked.”
—Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va
“In that troubled era, America needed strength, wisdom and good judgment, and those qualities came to us in the person of Gerald R. Ford.”
—Vice President Dick Cheney, who served as Ford’s chief of staff
“He had to bring our country back and make it whole again and he did it with dignity, he did it with great, great skill and sensitivity.”
— Alexander Haig, Ford’s former chief of staff
“America has lost a man whose integrity, strength of character and commitment to this nation distinguished him as one of our most selfless leaders … He accepted the enormous responsibilities of the presidency during a dark hour in our history, fully knowing the daunting challenge he faced. No man could have been better suited to the task of healing our nation and restoring faith in our government.”
—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
“History will honor Gerald Ford as a good man who became the respected leader of the free world in unique times.”
— Patricia Nixon Cox, daughter of former president Richard Nixon
“Gerry Ford was, simply put, one of the most decent and capable men I ever met. … Most of all, I will remember him as a devoted family man and a man of honor who never stopped serving this country he loved so deeply.”
—Former president George H.W. Bush.
“To his great credit, he was the same hard-working, down-to-earth person the day he left the White House as he was when he first entered Congress almost 30 years earlier.”
—Former president Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“We would like to express our condolences to the family of former U.S. president Gerald Ford and the American people.”
—The Government of Vietnam
“I worked in President Ford’s Justice Department and was struck by his steady leadership, honesty and sense of responsibility to his country. He was a true profile in courage.”
—Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
“He was a friend to everyone who met him. He had no enemies.”
—Former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., Ford’s 1976 running mate.
“Our country was fortunate to have such a man dedicated to public service who performed his responsibilities with distinction. President Ford was a unifier, a statesman, and more importantly, he was an everyman instead of a typical Washington politician. He was one of us.”
—House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
“President Ford was a leader who inspired and encouraged the American people and who worked to defuse dangerous tensions in the Middle East and to reduce the threat of nuclear war.”
—Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Compiled from wire reports
