"Although I have lived in a lot of places, I have always considered Grand Rapids to be my home." With this simple statement, former President Gerald R. Ford introduces Greater Grand Rapids: The City That Works. Looking back on his distinguished career, he recalls the many addresses he has occupied. The dorm at the University of Michigan. A cramped bunk on a naval aircraft carrier. Local law offices. The U.S. Congress. And, of course, the world's most famous address, the White House.
Yet, as Ford reveals, Grand Rapids is the place he continues to regard as "a kind of bedrock that has remained very much the same even though the city itself has grown and prospered beyond my wildest imagination."
Aided by hundreds of outstanding images shot by the area's best photographers and gathered by photo editor John Corriveau, Ford captures the essence of this bedrock community in a way that will inform those who do not know Grand Rapids, and delight those who are fortunate enough to call the city home.
Remembering fondly his longtime hometown, Ford concludes, "There has always been something about . . . [Grand Rapids]--something familiar and down-to-earth--that has helped its residents to keep their feet on the ground no matter where their dreams and careers might take them."
