"I think he saved the country.  In fact, he saved it in such a matter-of-fact way that he isn't given any credit for it."  Those are the words of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger about former President Gerald R. Ford.  The statement capsulizes the unique place our 38th president holds in the history of our country.

Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment with History, adapted in part from James M. Cannon's book by the same title, is a documentary about the man who was never elected to higher office but who served in the presidency for nearly 1,000 days in 1974-77, when the nation was challenged by war, inflation and political turmoil.  The 60-minute film by WGVU Productions traces Ford's formative years in Grand Rapids and chronicles his political career as a thirteen-term congressman, vice president and president.  It is the first full-scale documentary of the nation's 38th president.  

Ford is prominently profiled in the program during the dark days of Watergate and the politically turbulent 1970s.  The film also profiles Betty Ford and the role she played as one of the most influential first ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.

On Wednesday, January 3, WGVU General Manager Michael Walenta welcomed James Cannon, Gerald Ford's domestic policy adviser, author of the book "Time and Chance" and honorary pallbearer of the former president, to the WGVU studios.
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Time and Chance has also been made available to PBS stations nationwide; consult PBS listings in local areas for airdates and times.  

Copies of Time and Chance, as well as WGVU Productions' 30-minute film Gerald R. Ford: Turning 90, are available for purchase by calling 800-442-2771 or by visiting our online store at wgvu.org/store.