The Chief Justice (Mr. Burger) flew home from Amsterdam to administer the oath. Mr. Ford becomes the 38th President of the U.S. —and the first Chief Executive to take office without facing the people in a Presidential or Vice-Presidential election. Last night he described his accession, and Mr. Nixon's resignation, as "one of the saddest days of my life". President Ford said that Mr. Nixon had made "one of the greatest personal sacrifices" in the history of the U.S. Democrats and Republicans in Congress rallied around the new President with pledges of support.

Senator Edward Kennedy, President Ford's likeliest rival in the 1976 Presidential campaign, said: "I am sure that Congress and the country will close ranks behind President Ford as America enters a period of national healing and reconciliation.” Shortly before the swearing-in ceremony, President Nixon and his family flew from Washington to the West Coast. President Nixon with his wife, Pat. Credit:The Age Archives Mr. Nixon lest night announced his resignation in a nationwide radio and television broadcast. He gave as his main reason for stepping down the loss of Congressional support to allow him on carry through his legislative programme.

"I have never been a quitter." Mr. Nixon said. "I would have preferred to have carried through to the finish whatever the personal agony. And my family unanimously urged me in do so." But because of the Watergate matter he had concluded that he no longer had a strong enough base in Congress to back the difficult decisions — in this office. "To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body." he said. But if he had continued to fight for his 'personal vindication' in the months ahead, Mr. Nixon said it would have totally absorbed the time and attention of both the President and the Congress.

Richard Nixon Credit:The Age Archives America needed a full-time President, a full-time Congress. As President , Mr Nixon said, he must put “the interests of America first.” Mr Nixon called for national unity behind President Ford, saying he hoped that his resignation would help "that process of healing which is so desperately needed In America". He became the first American President to step down while in office. He had served 2062 days, had 986 days to go.

His resignation came six years to the day after he accepted the Republican Presidential nomination at Miami Reach on August 8, 1968. Mr Nixon’s White House farewell was emotionally charged and moving. After five and half years as President, and eight years as Vice-President, he was finally departing national office. He made a speech to assembled officials and friends in the East room – a speech in which both Mr Nixon and his audience were close to tears – and some were shed. Emotionally, he confessed: “Sure we have done some things wrong in this Administration and the top man always takes the responsibility and I have never ducked it.

“Mistakes, yes, but never for personal gain,” Mr Nixon said. Donning his glasses for the first time in public, he read a quotation from Theodore Roosevelt. Nixon described Mr Roosevelt as a great man as President and ex-President, always tempestuous, always strong, sometimes right, sometimes wrong, but he continued to serve his country also after he left office. President Ford and Mrs Ford then escorted Mr Nixon to a waiting helicopter on the White House lawn. A final farewell, and the helicopter took off. Attendants appeared and rolled up the red carpet that, as President, Mr. Nixon had trodden so often.

And an era was at an end. Despite the change in leadership, politics introduced by Mr Nixon will continue. President Ford pledged to continue the “foreign policy of peace” with which Mr Nixon had scored some diplomatic triumphs. He announced that Dr. Henry Kissinger had agreed to remain as Secretary of State. He said the country had been fortunate in the past five years to have “a very great man in Henry Kissinger, who had helped to build the blocks of peace under President Nixon.”

Mr. Ford may also retain other White House aides such as General Alexander Haig, who had been Mr Nixon’s Chief of Staff in the past year under the pressure of Watergate.