President Ford in Green Bay — 1976

The subject of President Gerald R. Ford attending the April 3, 1976 dedication ceremony of the original permanent Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame (at the southeast corner of S. Oneida Street and Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay) came up in a discussion with a friend this week, so we sought to see what we could find about this subject on the internet. The photos seen here were just recently posted (on February 17th) by the Hall of Fame on their Twitter account (@PackersHOF). We see Ford (center) speaking to the assembled crowd and press. Prior to this, he uncovered the dedication plaque as then-Packers head coach Bart Starr looked on (at left, below).

Photos: Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

Photo: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

We also found the photo seen above on the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum Tumblr page. Here is the text which accompanied the image: 

“This week Football Friday heads north to the Packers Hall of Fame in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Green Bay Packers football team dates back to 1919 and is known for its impressive success on the field as well as its fiercely loyal fan base. Having many great teams and such a long history, the Packers started a Hall of Fame program as a rotating exhibit at Brown County Memorial Arena in the 1960s. This exhibit was turned into an addition to the Arena and was dedicated by President Ford on April 3, 1976. 

During this trip, President Ford toured the facilities and met with some of the players and staff. This picture show Ford in the weight room talking to Offensive Lineman Keith Wortman (#65), who was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1976 season; Defensive Lineman Mike McCoy (#76); and Running Back Eric Torkelson (#26). Also accompanying the President on the tour was Packers head coach Bart Starr. A future NFL Hall of Famer, Starr had been Green Bay’s quarterback through the 1960s under the future Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi. During that time the Packers won five NFL Championships, including Super Bowls I & II, in seven years. Unfortunately Starr could not replicate his success as on the field as head coach and the team would take a downward slide through the 1970s. 

President Ford remarked on the program’s success at the Hall of Fame dedication, noting “the main thing is that through tradition, through the great successes – winning three consecutive football championships, the first two AFL, NFL championships, here in Green Bay you have developed a character and a leader and inspiration and a tradition that are the envy of all of our 215 million Americans, and I am among them.” He also reflected that he could have been part of that tradition since Coach Curly Lambeau had asked him to play for the Packers in 1935. Ford instead took a job with Ducky Pond and the Yale football team in order to pursue law school. Ford was heard to joke, “If I had gone into professional football, Jerry Ford might have been a household name today.”

Photo caption & information: Image: President Ford Talking with Green Bay Packers Football Players in the Weight Room at the Green Bay Packers Headquarters in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 4/3/1976 (White House photograph A9083-15A)

We have visited the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame many, many times over the years, and you should too. Find out more via this link.

We also have visited the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Grand Rapids, MI, as part of a goal to experience all of the presidential libraries if we happen to be near one on a business trip or vacation. Find out more about the Ford facility here.