R.I.P.: Ron Nessen, President Ford's Press Spox

(1935-2025)

Ron Nessen, who served as President Gerald R. Ford’s press secretary from 1974 to 1977 and vowed to usher in transparency following the Watergate scandal, passed away on Wednesday in Bethesda, Maryland, died March 12, 2025 at age 90. His often contentious relationship with the White House press corps marked his tenure. 

A veteran journalist with experience at wire services and NBC News, Nessen (right) stepped into the White House role during a turbulent period. President Richard M. Nixon had resigned amid Watergate-related impeachment threats, Vice President Ford had assumed the presidency and issued a controversial pardon, and both the public and press—disillusioned by years of deceit—viewed the new administration with skepticism.

The situation was complicated by Ford’s initial press secretary, J.F. terHorst, resigning just a month into the job, unwilling to defend the pardon that shielded Nixon from prosecution—unlike other Watergate figures and Vietnam draft evaders who faced legal consequences.

Tasked with rebuilding trust after a two-year cover-up sparked by the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s Watergate offices, Nessen pledged his primary allegiance to the public. He committed to releasing “as much news as possible” and told his former press colleagues, “If I lie or mislead you, I think you are justified in questioning my continued usefulness in this job.”