Dear Stan:
I have your letter, and it is with my deepest regrets that I accept your resignation as Secretary of Interior, effective upon the appointment and qualification of your successor. In so doing, I want you to know that I fully understand and sympathize with the health considerations which have prompted your decision.
Needless to say, I would have much preferred that you felt able to continue fulfilling your challenging and strenuous responsibilities at Interior. I am confident that the exceptional skill and genuine concern for the well-being of our fellow citizens which have always marked your public career would have served the Nation well in that capacity.
As you return to private life, I want to express my appreciation for your outstanding work on behalf of the Nation and our Party and for your friendship and support and many personal kindnesses. Betty joins me in extending to Bobbie and you our warmest good wishes for your health and every future happiness.
With warmest personal regards,
JERRY FORD
[The Honorable Stanley K. Hathaway, Secretary of Interior, Washington, D.C]
Note: Secretary Hathaway's letter of resignation, dated July 25, 1975, read as follows:
Dear Mr. President:
It is with deepest regret that, for reasons of personal health, I must ask you to accept my resignation.
To have been selected to become your Secretary of the Interior has been a singular honor, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence you placed in me. Your Administration has achieved great progress in restoring the Nation's morale and sense of purpose, and I know we will continue to prosper under your leadership.
I extend to you and your family my heartfelt wishes for success in the future.
Sincerely,
STANLEY K. HATHAWAY
[The President, The White House, Washington, D.C. 20500]
Gerald R. Ford, Letter Accepting the Resignation of Secretary of the Interior Stanley K. Hathaway. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/256388