By Rick Swart

Everybody, it seems, has a story to tell about the late president Gerald R. Ford, which in itself is testimony to his greatness.

I have my own, personal recollection of Gerald Ford - he is the only president I ever met.

It was 33 years ago during the national convention of the Future Farmers of America. Ford was the keynote speaker and I was a member of the national FFA band. In addition to the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Stars and Stripes Forever," we played "Hail to the Chief" for the president, who shook hands with all of us after his address. It was an unforgettable experience.

Ford talked about the economy and even passed out WIN buttons. WIN is an acronym for "whip inflation now." Double-digit inflation was a big problem in those days, and Ford asked us to help get it under control will some very simple measures - buy wisely, increase productivity and conserve energy. It sounded good at the time but didn't do much to get inflation under control. In fact, the souring economy, along with Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon, contributed to his defeat in his election big against Jimmy Carter.

Ford wasn't a particularly charismatic or visionary leader, but he was, as others have noted, a good guy ... a regular guy.

Though my meeting with the president was memorable, it was his son, Steve, who made the most lasting impression on me.

I was a sophomore at Oregon State University the year that President Ford decided to run for a second term of office. As fate would have it, I was selected to cover politics for the campus newspaper, The Daily Barometer. To my surprise, presidential candidates were interested in winning votes on America's campuses, which they visited frequently. So I found myself face-to-face with several presidential hopefuls or their emissaries - Sen. Frank Church from Idaho, Gov. Jerry Brown from California, Jimmy Carter's son, Chip, and Gerald Ford's son, Steve.

The first indication that I was getting involved in something big was when I was asked to fill out a form for the Secret Service. Not long after that I got what may still be the best assignment of my life - interviewing the president's son.

That in itself would be quite a plum for an aspiring journalist. Many of us work our entire careers without ever pressing presidential flesh. Now I was going to spend the whole day with the president's son.

Gerald Ford was perceived by some as dense, awkward and square, thanks mostly to comedians like Chevy Chase, who achieved his own fame by lampooning the president. Steve Ford was the antithesis of that image - young, handsome, and single. No doubt in some quarters he was considered at the time the most eligible bachelor in America. He enjoyed almost rock star status among teenage girls, as I quickly discovered when Steve and I walked the streets of Corvallis, surrounded by his entourage of men in black suits and dark glasses. Next to Steve Ford, I felt like one of the Beatles on his way to a concert. The girls were going nuts, and I have to admit, I didn't mind the attention. And to think, I started out in college with a major in ag engineering. How do you spell career change? This was the day I learned. I didn't see any of those engineers traipsing with Steve and me along the yellow brick road to panacea.

Our last stop was at OSU's nuclear engineering facility. OSU owns a 1 megawatt nuclear reactor and Steve wanted to see it. So off we went to the nuke, our bodyguards in tow. I remember standing on top of the reactor, just the two of us, wearing radiation detectors as we peered down into its crystal blue water, under the watchful eye of the Secret Service, and thinking, "I have arrived." At that moment I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

I voted for Jerry Ford that year and was disappointed when he lost. I was saddened the other day when I heard he had passed away. I like those Fords. They're good people.

Contact Publisher Rick Swart at rswart@lahontanvalleynews.com