Letter Accepting the Resignation of Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Dear Cap:
I have your letter and, while I would greatly prefer that you were able to remain as a member of my team, I want you to know that I understand and sympathize with the personal considerations which prompt you to present your resignation at this time. It is, therefore, with the deepest regret that I accept your resignation as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, effective August 10, 1975, as you requested.
This Administration has been blessed with many men and women of outstanding leadership, but few have matched the skill, dedication, versatility and good judgment which you brought to the public service. At both the State and Federal levels, you have accepted positions of great trust and responsibility, creating an exceptional record of achievement, personal integrity and unswerving devotion to duty. As Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and now as Secretary of H.E.W., your sure grasp of difficult issues affecting the lives of all Americans has truly earned their lasting gratitude and my own profound respect.
While I am, of course, especially grateful for your able leadership at H.E.W., I welcome this opportunity to also express my appreciation for your sound counsel and loyal assistance, both as a member of my Cabinet and as a friend. With your help, I am confident we have been able to make not just tough decisions, but more importantly, responsible decisions which are right for America.
Now, as you prepare to return to private life, I hope you will always look back with a special sense of satisfaction on your distinguished contributions to this Administration and to our efforts to assure the present and future well-being of all our fellow citizens. Betty joins me in extending to Jane and you our heartfelt best wishes for your happiness, success and good health in the years ahead.
With warmest personal regards,
JERRY FORD
[The Honorable Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of 20201 ]
Note: Secretary Weinberger's letter of resignation, dated June 23, 1975, read as follows:
Dear Mr. President:
It is a source of deep regret to me that I cannot accept your request that I serve in my present post until the end of your term, but for the reasons with which you are familiar it is not possible for me to remain in Washington that long, and, therefore, I must submit my resignation as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, effective August 10, 1975, which I understand is the date most convenient for my successor.
I have been honored beyond measure to serve in your Administration. You have, by your own character and example, your unquestioned integrity, and your courageous, decisive leadership, been personally responsible for the remarkable revival of the national spirit and morale which we have experienced in the past year, and which we so sorely needed. For that and for your unfailing kindness to me I shall always be most grateful.
With my best wishes for your continued success and good health,
Sincerely,
CASPAR W. WEINERGER
[The President, The White House, Washington, D.C.]
Gerald R. Ford, Letter Accepting the Resignation of Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/257189