Former President Gerald Ford will not attend Friday’s dedication of Hall, the new home of the school that bears his name, the University announced yesterday.
Ford, who graduated in 1935, is 93 years old and in declining health. University spokesman Jared Wadley said Ford does not “feel strong enough” to attend.
As late as Tuesday afternoon, University officials expected Ford to come to the dedication.
In an interview at 3 p.m. Tuesday, University President Mary Sue Coleman said that as far as she knew, he was coming.
“It’s a day-by-day thing,” Coleman said. “I haven’t heard that he’s not going to be here, so I’m optimistic.”
Ford is the oldest living president. In late August, he was hospitalized for over two weeks when doctors performed an angioplasty to reduce or eliminate blockages in his coronary arteries.
Ford attended the groundbreaking of the building at State and Hill streets in 1994.
In September, Coleman said Ford had told her that the thought of the new building, which houses the Ford School of Public Policy, was the secret to his longevity.
“He’s told us the building is what’s been keeping him alive for the last two years,” Coleman said.
Ford has been tracking construction regularly through a live webcam on the School of Public Policy’s website.
“It’s been a treat for Mom and Dad to see the construction of Joan and Sanford Weill Hall through the webcam,” Steven Ford, their son, said in a written statement.
Members of Ford’s family will still attend the invitation-only dedication at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Ford played center for the football team, most notably during the undefeated seasons of 1932 and 1933. He was also a member of Michigamua, the University’s elite senior society, and Delta Kappa Epsilon.