I first met Gerald Ford when he visited the University to teach some classes a few years after he left the White House. What was striking about him then and was still true over 20 years later was his evident intelligence, quick wit and physical grace.

Here was a man who had been much maligned as being slow and clumsy. He was neither. He was surpassingly knowledgeable about politics and was witty, athletic and charismatic.

He also had an astonishing ability to remember names and faces. My first meeting with him was at a luncheon with about 20 people. Everyone got to shake hands and say hello, and there was extended and substantive conversation, but it was hardly an intimate event. Two or three years later, on another of his visits to campus, we shook hands in a receiving line, and he remembered my name. I'm told that my experience was a common one.

Ford's contributions to public policy are of course many. He was very much a man of principle, and his principles delayed for many years the naming of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He was first contacted about the possibility sometime around 1980 by Jack Walker, who was then the head of our public policy program.

In those days it was common to get large federal appropriations for presidential monuments. Walker saw an opportunity to enhance Michigan's program if he could get Ford's backing, especially in light of the fact that Ford was much beloved in Congress.

Ford would have none of it, taking the principled position that he could not advocate for any federal spending on such a project when the federal budget was so seriously in deficit. In the end it was the University and private donors that enabled the Ford School to grow and prosper.

Of course, Ford played an essential role in mobilizing those donors, and he and his wife Betty made significant financial contributions.

Much has been written in the past week about the moment when Ford become president and how much his honesty and genuineness meant to the country at a terrible time. Those of us who remember those days cannot find the words to convey our gratitude to this good man and great American. Over time he gave us much more, consistently showing wisdom and sound judgment. Imagine how much better off we would be if he had been making the major policy decisions of the last six years.

For our School of Public Policy to bear Gerald Ford's name is a great honor and a source of great pride.

Paul Courant
Public Policy professor, former University of Michigan provost

As a student, Gerald Ford demonstrated his spirit and dedication on the football field. He also found time to work several part-time jobs to supplement his scholarship and still was able to focus on academics, majoring in economics and political science.

But it was as an alum that Ford's service to the University really shined. He was instrumental in elevating the University's status, raising funds and lending his name to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

In 2005, I had the privilege of presenting Ford with the Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Service Award, the highest honor we can bestow on a graduate of the University. I was amazed at his humility and his continuing devotion to the University.

"It was a great experience for me to be at the University of Michigan for four years," Ford said. "I have always been proud - very, very proud - of my association with the University. When people ask me where I went to college, I say 'Go Blue!' "

Steve Grafton
Alumni Association president

Two days ago, I placed a yellow-and-blue wreath before the flag-draped casket of former President Gerald Ford during a memorial service in his hometown of Grand Rapids.

Serving as an honorary pallbearer for an American president was a privilege unlike any I have known. Yet the real tribute was to the University of Michigan, an institution Ford loved and supported from his first days as an undergraduate in LSA.

A graduate of the class of 1935, his impact is highly visible on campus, from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the campus's southern gateway to his presidential library on North Campus. He served his alma mater as an adviser, a teacher, a donor and an advocate who always wanted the best for Michigan.

Retirement from the public arena did not mute President Ford's commitment to Michigan. He was thrilled with the construction of Weill Hall, the new home of the Ford School, and delighted in seeing construction updates, photographs and videos.

From the tower of Weill Hall, one can see Michigan Stadium - a view very much appreciated by Ford. His love of both academics and athletics was unparalleled.

This past week has been rich with remembrances of the former president. He is hailed for his integrity, his service, his devotion to family and his quiet courage in the face of difficult decisions.