Which U.S. Presidents Held Office During the 1970s?
Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were the U.S. presidents who held office during the 1970s. Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter won election to that office in the 1970s, while Gerald Ford became president because of Nixon’s resignation.
Richard Nixon’s first term as president began in 1969, and his second term began in 1973. However, because of the Watergate scandal and looming impeachment, Nixon resigned on Aug. 8, 1974. This resignation elevated Gerald Ford to the Oval Office. Though he had never run on a presidential ticket, Ford had become vice-president after Nixon’s original vice-president, Spiro Agnew, left office under indictment for money laundering. Ford ran for re-election in 1976, but he lost to Jimmy Carter, who served until 1981.
