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7342908
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Pool Report #11, The Grace Farm, Champaign, Illinois PFC Headquarters
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7342908
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contentType
document
title
Pool Report #11, The Grace Farm, Champaign, Illinois PFC Headquarters
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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Presidential campaign, 1976
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7342908
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6
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1976-03-06
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3
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1976
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Digitized from Box 22 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
March 6, 1975
POOL REPORT #11
Travel pool from Centennial High School to Lyle Grace Farm, tour of
Lyle Grace Farm, Luncheon, travel pool from Grace Farm to Redwood
Inn, Chanute Community Foundation Reception, travel pool from Redwood
Inn to Champaign PFC Headquarters, PFC Reception, and travel pool to
University of Illinois Willard Airport
Leaving the Centennial High School, Ford again stood up to wave at a
large crowd gathered in frontof the school. There was one negative sign--
"Ford vetoed our jobs. Veto Ford. He sat down for much of the ride
along Interstate 57 to the Grace farm located near Leverett, Illinois.
The Grace farm consisted of five buildings--two large gray barns, a large
white house, and a garage and storage shed.
The President and party were greeted by Mr. Grace and escorted through
some of the buildings. The President climbed into the cab of a $24, 500
air-conditioned tractor, one of five parked on Mr. Grace's land. The
President sat inside and worked at the wheel.
With reporters looking on, Earl Butz gave a lecture on free enterprise
farming and observed that the black dirt in these parts runs "halfway
down to China. The Graces' have 800 acres, growing corn, soybeans,
and wheat. No sheep or small brown gifts. Worth of the farm is $2. 3
million, but Mr. Grace still said that Ford's proposed $150, 000 estate
exemption is "going to be great.' Both Mr. and Mrs. Grace plan to
vote for Ford.
Inside the house, there was a buffet set on the table which included rye
bread, cheese, both Swiss and American, ham and roast beef, deviled
eggs, carrots, celery, radishes, and baked beans. The President said
to Mrs. Grace, "I'll tell you, I've always liked homemade beans and
bread. Yes, the kind you can smell all over the house and sometimes
before you even go in the house. 'But, the President, "and angel food
cake too. " There appeared to be family members along with the White
House and Congressional delegation. The pool then left the house. After
about 25 minutes, Mr. Ford emerged, thanked his hosts, received a jar
of some kind of preserves from Mrs. Grace and left for the motorcade to
Rantoul. There was a good turnout along the motorcade route between
Chanute AFB and the downtown area. At the Redwood Inn, the President
was interviewed briefly by newsmen from the local radio station and was
asked much the same questions--defense spending, the grain embargo,
etc. --no new news. However, twice the President referred to Rantoul
as Rantoun.
His speech was the standard economic fair, plus an appeal for help in
getting the Defense Budget through Congress. The Air Force is already
in trouble over the R.O.T.C. Apparently plans to close down Chanute.
Ford said that he would have Don Rumsfeld come down to visit, but
didn't commit himself on the results. The President had another inter-
view on the way out of the Redwood Inn with the "on the air' radio station,
presumably pronouncing Rantoul correctly. The motorcade to Urbana
was again lined off and on with friendly people, and the President arose in
his limousine at appropriate times.
The Champaign PFC headquarters is a modern building where the President
waved to a gathered crowd and told volunteer workers inside, mostly college
age, to send their autograph requests to Washington so that there would be
more time for him to shake hands. Leaving the headquarters, he predicted
vistories in Florida and Illinois. He worked crowds along University Ave.
and greeted the visiting University of Michigan Swim Team after it persis-
tently shouted "Go Blue". Learning that the Team was placing third in a
Big Ten Meet, Ford encouraged them to win. Motorcade to the airport from
there was without incident. (Kondrake-Chicaso Sun Timest Cochran-NBC).