This statue of Gerald Ford was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Michigan in 2011.
The statue depicts Ford wearing a three-piece suit and leaning forward, his feet splayed and his slightly raised left heel suggesting forward motion; the sculptor stated that this posture is "meant to embody the idea of someone standing up to serve their country when called."
The president's right hand holds his open suit jacket with two fingers below the right lapel and his left hand holds two thick files, the outer one of which carries the presidential seal.
The pedestal, clad in India Black granite, is inscribed on the front with Ford's name, life dates, positions and terms of federal service, and the state name "Michigan."
On the proper right side is inscribed a quotation from a tribute by Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Speaker of the House during Ford's presidency:
"God has been good to America,
especially during difficult times.
At the time of the Civil War,
he gave us Abraham Lincoln.
And at the time of Watergate, he gave us Gerald Ford—
the right man at the right time
who was able to put our nation back together again."
On the proper left side are words from Ford's swearing-in address:
"Our constitution works. Our great
republic is a government of laws
and not of men. Here the people rule."
The statue was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda on May 3, 2011.
Sculptor J Brett Grill (1979– ) holds a BFA in sculpture from the University of Michigan and an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art. Now an assistant professor of art, he teaches painting and drawing at the University of Missouri. He was selected by a panel of experts on behalf of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation following a national call for applications; the Foundation commissioned the sculpture on behalf of the state of Michigan.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grill also grew up there, as did Ford. Grill was familiar with Ford's history and had previously depicted him in a bust.
