The president who succeeded Richard Nixon after his resignation was Gerald Ford. Ford became the 38th president of the United States on August 9, 1974, following Nixon's resignation amid the Watergate scandal. He was Nixon's vice president at the time and is notable for being the only person to serve as president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency. Ford served until January 20, 1977, when he was succeeded by Jimmy Carter after losing the 1976 election