Figure 1.--Gerlad was an active Boy Scout. Most Scouts wore the knickers uniform in the 1920s and 30s, but a short pans uniform was worn in camps and jamborees. This photograph would have been taken about 1930.

Gerald was born in Omaha, Nebraska, during 1913. His mother was still a schoolgirl when she married. Gerald's father was a wool dealer. Her husband proved to be a wildly jealous man and psychologically and phyically abusive. His father beat his mother on nymerous occassions. One day when Gerald was still quite young, after an abusive outburst, his mother picked up and moved back to Grand Rapids where her parents took them in. About 2 years later she married again, this time to a man who proved to be a wonderful father. His new father, Gerald R. Ford, was a paint salesman. His parents did not tell Gerald about his biological father until one day when his faher introduced himself. Gerald was by that time in highschool. Gerald grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.I have little information on his childhood, except that he was very athletically inclined. Interestingly, he was probably the most gifted athelete of all our presidents. He won a football scholarship to Michican University and was a noted football player there. He was offered a contract by a professional football team and coached college football. Crriously as president, the press made fun of him as clumsy. Gerald was also an avid Boy Scout. There were no Cubs when Gerald was a boy, but he joined the Scouts when he was old enough. He advanced to Eagle Scout.