Gerald Ford was president of the United States.
Gerald Ford . He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment , and consequently the only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being elected to executive office . As President , Ford signed the Helsinki Accords , marking a move toward détente in the Cold War . He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger , former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter , making him the first President who succeeded to office as a result of a mid-term vacancy since Chester A. Arthur not to be elected in his own right . Following his years as President , Ford remained active in the Republican Party . 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 .