J.F. terHorst Dies

J.F. terHorst, a reporter who in August 1974 was appointed White House press secretary by an old friend, President Gerald R. Ford, but who resigned less than a month later when Mr. Ford granted former President Richard M. Nixon an unconditional pardon in connection with the Watergate scandal, died Wednesday in Asheville, N.C. He was 87.

The cause was congestive heart failure, said his son, Peter.

Mr. terHorst’s resignation was — and still is — considered a rare act of conscience by a high-ranking public official, and the circumstances in which it occurred were extraordinary.

Rest In Peace, J.F.