Jerry terHorst

I am old enough to remember when Gerald Ford took office in August of 1974, and what a breath of fresh air he was after the poisonous corruption of the Nixon administration.

Jerry terHorst was Ford’s press secretary for all of a month – he quit after Ford pardoned his predecessor – but his openness and decency matched that of his boss, and Garry Trudeau gave him his moment of fame with the strip above.

terHorst died Wednesday night of congestive heart failure.

terhorst’s resignation letter included the following:

I cannot in good conscience support your decision to pardon former President Nixon even before he has been charged with the commission of any crime. As your spokesman, I do not know how I could credibly defend that action in the absence of a like decision to grant absolute pardon to the young men who evaded Vietnam military service as a matter of conscience and the absence of pardons for former aides and associates of Mr. Nixon who have been charged with crimes — and imprisoned — stemming from the same Watergate situation.

If you’re thinking you haven’t seen that kind of character floating around Washington much recently, you would not be alone.

Jerry terHorst, rest in peace.