Former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and his golden retriever, Liberty, are shown in the Oval Office at the White House in this November 7, 1974 file photo. Ford, who took office from an embattled Richard M. Nixon, has died, according to a statement from his widow on December 26, 2006. EDITORIAL USE ONLY BW ONLY REUTERS/Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library/David Hume Kennerly/White House Photograph/Handout (UNITED STATES)