U.S. President George W. Bush offered his condolences to the family of late President Gerald Ford late Tuesday, describing him as a "great American."

In a written statement from his Texas ranch where he was spending the week, Bush said: "We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our 38th president will always have a special place in our nation's memory."

"The American people will always admire Gerald Ford's devotion to duty, his personal character and the honorable conduct of his administration," the statement said.

"President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country," it said.

Ford "assumed the presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division with his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency," the statement said.

Ford, the 38th and only unelected president in the history of the United States, died at 93 on Tuesday.

He battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the Associated Press reported.

He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93.

Source: Xinhua