One of the more controversial aspects of the political 70s, there is still a lot of arguing over whether Ford was right in his decision.
A lot of people like to claim that Ford did so as a quid pro quo for the presidency. I say, if that were the case, why would Ford carry around in his wallet, a clipping from Burdict vs. The United States as his own source of comfort that he did the right thing? Senator Ted Kennedy initially opposed Ford's pardon but later went on to say history has showed that Ford was correct in his decision.
Do you believe Ford was wrong to do so? Keep in mind no president so far has been convicted yet, and a lot of scholars looks to Ford's pardon claiming that a conviction of a president (at the time) would seriously not only taint the office, but the country as a whole.