Gerald Ford succeeded to office.
Gerald Ford . Before his appointment to the vice presidency , Ford served 25 years as U.S. Representative from Michigan 's 5th congressional district , the final nine of them as the House Minority Leader . One of his most controversial acts was to grant a presidential pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal . Ford lived longer than any other U.S. president -- 93 years and 165 days -- while his 895-day presidency was the shortest of all presidents who did not die in office .