The State Bar of Michigan will honor former President Gerald R. Ford with the 1999 Distinguished Public Servant Award for his significant and lasting contribution to the nation and his service in public office that strengthened the American system of justice under the law.

President Ford will receive this award during the Wednesday luncheon of the State Bar's Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids on September 15. The key note speaker at this luncheon will be U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

Grand Rapids native and member of the State Bar, President Ford entered the White House on August 9, 1974 at a time of national crisis. He was nominated vice president on October 12, 1973, to succeed Spiro T. Agnew, who resigned, and was confirmed December 6. He ascended to the presidency on August 9, 1974, following the resignation of Richard M. Nixon, and served until January 20, 1977.

After President Ford lost one of the closest elections in history to Democrat Jimmy Carter, he established an office in Rancho Mirage, California. Since returning to his private life in 1977, he has lectured at 179 colleges and universities on congressional/White House relations, federal budget policies and domestic and foreign policy issues.

President Ford has also done fundraising on behalf of the Republican Party, the University of Michigan, the Betty Ford Center and the Gerald R. Ford Foundation. He has also been involved in numerous events, including the Boy Scouts of America, the Girls Club of America and the American Cancer Society.

In 1981, a Gerald R. Ford Library in Ann Arbor and a Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids were dedicated. The two centers now host conferences and lectures, including the William E. Simon Lecture Series that President Ford hosts in both cities.