Presidential Museum Unveils Smaller Version Of Ford Statue

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in western Michigan is displaying its own version of a statue that will be aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford when it deploys.

The 7-foot tall statue of Lieutenant Commander Ford was unveiled last year and the smaller version, known as a maquette, has been added to the Grand Rapids museum's recently redone World War II exhibit.

The Grand Rapids Press reports that the small bronze work stands 2 feet tall and was created by Grand Rapids native and sculptor Brett Grill.

Ford died in 2006, and former first lady Betty Ford died in 2011. They lived in Rancho Mirage, California, for decades.

Gerald Ford was a congressman from Grand Rapids before becoming vice president and then president following Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation.

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