Dorothy E. Downton

Dorothy E. Downton (born November 11, 1946) served as the personal secretary to United States President Gerald Ford from 1974 to 1977.^[1]

Dorothy Downton
Downton (right) with Gerald Ford in the Oval Office, c. 1975
Personal Secretary to the President
In office August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977
President	Gerald Ford
Preceded by	Rose Mary Woods
Succeeded by	Susan Clough
Personal details
Born	Dorothy Hessler (1946-11-11) November 11, 1946 (age 78) Manistee, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Davenport University (BA)

Early life and career

Born Dorothy Hessler in Manistee, Michigan, in 1946, Downton attended Davenport University. Upon graduating, she began working at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the print division.^[2]

Downton joined Gerald R. Ford's congressional staff in 1967. She later served as personal secretary during his time as vice president and later as president. She also served as President Ford's personal secretary in his Rancho Mirage office and assisted his 1976 presidential campaign.^[3]

Post-White House career

Downton continued to serve as Ford's personal secretary until 1980, and then moved to Detroit.^[4] In 1990, Downton returned to the workforce as Office Administrator for Lionel, LLC. Downton worked for the Associated Press as a secretary for the Michigan bureau from 1995 until her retirement in 2008.

Downton's White House files have been recorded and preserved by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.^[5]