Jerald terHorst
| Jerald terHorst | |
|---|---|
| 14th White House Press Secretary | |
|
In office August 9, 1974 – September 9, 1974 |
|
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Ron Ziegler |
| Succeeded by | Ron Nessen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jerald Franklin terHorst July 11, 1922 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 2010 (aged 87) Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Louise Roth (1945–2005) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education |
Michigan State University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Jerald Franklin "Jerry" terHorst (July 11, 1922 – March 31, 2010) was an American journalist who served as the White House Press Secretary during the first month of Gerald Ford's presidency. His resignation in protest of Ford's unconditional pardon of former president Richard Nixon is still regarded as "a rare act of conscience by a high-ranking public official".
Jerald Franklin terHorst (pronounced "terHORST") was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 11, 1922. The son of Dutch immigrants, he did not speak English until he was 5 years old. He dropped out of high school at age 15 to work on an uncle's farm but returned to school when his high school principal successfully persuaded him to graduate.
He went to Michigan State University on an agriculture scholarship and wrote for the school newspaper. His education was interrupted yet again when World War II broke out; he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 in the Pacific theater. He finally finished his college education at the University of Michigan in 1946.
In the midst of the war, in 1945, he married Louise Roth, whom he had met at Michigan State University. She wrote for The Grand Rapids Herald; he wrote for The Grand Rapids Press, the Herald's rival, after graduation until 1951. He returned to active duty with the Marine Corps from 1951 until 1952 before going to write for The Detroit News, first in its Lansing bureau, then in the city room in Detroit.
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