September 5, 1975: President Gerald Ford Faces an Assassination Attempt

September 5, 1975: President Gerald Ford faces an assassination attempt on a visit to Sacramento, the capital of California.

He was visiting the city to attend the annual Sacramento Host Breakfast, a gathering of wealthy California business leaders at the Sacramento Convention Center. The new Governor, Jerry Brown -- Edmund G. Brown Jr., son of former Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown -- refused to attend, because he wanted to show them, after 8 years of the archconservative Ronald Reagan, the new Governor wasn't going to be their friend.

To spite Brown, a Democrat, who was already talking about running for President in 1976 -- or, perhaps, to counter-spite him -- they invited President Ford, a Republican, as was Reagan. Ford, who had become President 13 months earlier upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, knew that winning a term of his own would be difficult, and that California would be crucial. (This included in the Republican Primaries, in which Reagan was expected to run.) So he accepted.

In August 1975, The New York Times printed an article detailing Ford's visit to California in September. It included the fact that, as a Congressman from Michigan, he had voted against the Clean Air Act of 1970.

This angered Lynette Alice Fromme. Born on October 22, 1948 in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica, California, As a child, she was a member of the Westchester Lariats, a Los Angeles-based dance group that appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show -- and had even been invited to perform at the White House, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was President. As far as I know, this is the only time that someone who would go on to attempt to assassinate a President would visit the White House before that President took office.

In 1967, she became a follower of cult leader Charles Manson. Another of his followers, George Spahn, noticed that she made a sound like a squeak when he touched her, so he gave her the nickname "Squeaky." She was not charged in connection with the Tate-Labianca Murders, unlike Manson and some of his other followers.

In 1975, she was 26 years old, still committed to the imprisoned Manson, and paranoid about the environment. When she saw the article about Ford, she saw a chance to strike a blow for both the environment and Manson.

Ford was crossing L Street from the Senator Hotel to the State Capitol, shaking hands, at 10:02 AM. Fromme got within 2 feet of him. In his memoir, Ford wrote, "As I stopped, I saw a hand come through the crowd in the first row, and that was the first active gesture that I saw, but in the hand there was a gun."

Fromme didn't know that she needed to pull back the gun slide to insert a cartridge into the pistol's chamber. She pulled the trigger, and nothing happened. Secret Service Agent Larry Buendorf grabbed the gun, and forced Fromme to the ground. Other Agents pulled Ford away, and dragged him to the Capitol's entrance.

Ford was unhurt, and, when the Agents determined that the threat was over, he resumed his schedule, including meeting with Governor Brown. He returned to Washington that night. He would go back to California later in the month -- and face another assassination attempt, totally unconnected to this one.

Had the attempt succeeded, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller would have become President. Next in line was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Carl Albert of Oklahoma.

Ford lost the California Primary to Reagan in 1976, and almost lost the nomination to him. He won it, and did win California in the general election, but narrowly lost both the popular vote and the Electoral Vote to former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. In 1981, he opened his Presidential Museum in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The U.S. Attorney's office in Sacramento donated Fromme's gun to the Museum. Ford lived until 2006.

Fromme was convicted of attempted murder, and sentenced to life in prison. On Christmas Eve 1987, she escaped, but was captured 2 days later. She was released in 2009, after serving 34 years.

As of September 5, 2022, she is 72 years old, and lives with a fellow ex-con in Marcy, New York, outside Syracuse. Unlike most of Manson's followers, she has never renounced him.

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September 5, 1975 was a Friday. These Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in a doubleheader Memorial Stadium, the result of a rainout on the preceding May 6. The O's won the opener, 5-4. Ken Singleton, later to broadcast for the Yankees, hit a home run for the O's. Brooks Robinson went 0-for-2 with a walk.

Graig Nettles and Chris Chambliss each had 3 hits for the Yanks, in support of George "Doc" Medich, but to no avail.

The O's won the nightcap, 2-1. Ross Grimsley outpitched Larry Gura, and this was one of the games that led Yankee manager Billy Martin to ask that Gura be traded, which led to him pitching well against the Yankees for the Kansas City Royals over the next few years. Brooks only appeared as a pinch-hitter in this game, and did not reach base. Future Yankee Rick Dempsey got 3 hits, but the rest of the Yankees only got 2 hits: A home run by Bobby Bonds, and a single by Sandy Alomar Sr.

* The New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-2 at Shea Stadium. Dave Kingman hit a home run for the Mets, not exactly a surprise. Mike Vail also hit one for them, which was a bit of a surprise. Tom Seaver only went 6 innings, but got his 21st win of the season. Lou Brock went 1-for-4 with a stolen base.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 11-2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Willie Horton hit 2 homers for the Tigers. Indians manager Frank Robinson, not yet retired as a player, did not put himself into the game.

* A doubleheader was split at Jarry Park in Montreal, the result of a rainout on the previous July 2. In the 1st game, the Montreal Expos beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3. Richie Zisk hit a home run, and Willie Stargell had a single as a pinch-hitter. Pepe Mangual drew a bases-loaded walk off Kent Tekulve to win the game in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Pirates won the 2nd game, 5-2. This time, Stargell went 1-for-4, his hit a solo home run.

* A doubleheader was split at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, the result of a rainout on the previous August 6. In the 1st game, the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3. Bill Bonham outpitched Steve Carlton. In the 2nd game, the Phillies won, 6-3. Mike Schmidt went 4-for-8 with a homer and 2 RBIs over the 2 games.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-2 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Pete Rose went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs. Johnny Bench went 0-for-3, but did draw a walk.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Uncharacteristically, Rod Carew went 0-for-4.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Hank Aaron went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Houston Astros beat the San Diego Padres, 2-1 at the Astrodome in Houston. Dave Winfield went 2-for-4.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the California Angels, 5-2 at Anaheim Stadium (now named Angel Stadium of Anaheim). George Brett went 5-for-5 with 4 RBIs.

* And the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 0-for-3.