The late President Gerald Ford commemorated his friend and fellow President Jimmy Carter in a touching eulogy that was read at Carter’s funeral Thursday by Ford’s son.
Ford’s third son, Steve Ford, fulfilled a pact the two men had made before their deaths, that when one of them died the other would give a eulogy. Carter spoke at Ford’s funeral in 2007, and before Ford’s death he completed his eulogy for Carter, as The New York Times reported.
In that eulogy read in Washington’s National Cathedral before five current and former presidents, Gerald Ford emphasized the remarkably close friendship the pair formed after initially meeting and competing as strong political foes.
“It was because of our shared values that Jimmy and I respected each other as adversaries even before we cherished one another as dear friends,” he wrote. “Now, this is not to say that Jimmy never got under my skin, but has there ever been a group of politicians that didn’t do that to one another?”
The two men ran against each other in the 1976 presidential election, with Carter ultimately defeating Ford in what was then one of the nation’s tightest races in modern times. Walter Mondale, who served as Ford’s vice president, also wrote a eulogy before his death that was read on Thursday by Mondale’s son.
Despite their rivalry, Carter and Ford went on to form a bond that started during a 1981 traveling assignment under President Ronald Reagan.
“During our 1976 contest, Jimmy knew my vulnerabilities and he successfully pointed them out. Now, I didn’t like it, but little could I know that the outcome of that 1976 election would bring about one of my deepest and most enduring friendships,” wrote Ford.
His eulogy repeatedly underscored Carter’s honesty and penchant to tell the truth, which he said became synonymous with his name.
“Those traits were instilled in him by his loving parents, Lillian and Earl Carter, and the strength of his honesty was reinforced by his upbringing in the rural South poised on the brink of social transformation,” he wrote. “Honesty was not an aspirational goal; it was part of his very soul.”
Steve Ford appeared to tear up while reading his father’s final line addressed to his late friend.
“As for myself, Jimmy, I’m looking forward to our reunion. We have much to catch up on. Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome home, old friend,” he read.