[3][5][12] They married on October 15, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. [84] When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin. [7][38][37], In 1975, when Time named the "American women" as its "Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women". Bush called her, "a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady. [83] The fact that Ford had, for years, been given tranquilizers to treat a pinched nerve in her neck, was public knowledge as far back as her time as second lady. [114], In 1975, when Time named "American women" as its "Time Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women". [103], Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. Ford also enjoyed the traditional role as hostess of the White House and on a daily basis spent most of her energy on the family, health, and filling in for her husband on the hustings. [61][33] Ford utilized phone calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA. [61] Her active political role prompted Time to call her the country's "Fighting First Lady" and was the reason they profiled her, among several others, to represent the "American Women" as the magazine's 1975 Person of the Year. She was also involved in her husband's political career by fulfilling the commitments expected of congressional spouses to help elevate her husband's regard among his House colleagues. [19], In 1977, the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California. [72][73], Of the state dinners she planned, Ford said, "From the beginning, Jerry and I tried to make the White House a place where people could have fun and enjoy themselves. "[7], Betty and Gerald Ford had four children together: Michael Gerald Ford (born 1950), John Gardner Ford (nicknamed Jack; born 1952), Steven Meigs Ford (born 1956), and Susan Elizabeth Ford (born 1957). Her mother's actions in the wake of her father's passing are said to have been formative for her views in support of equal pay and gender equality. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. During her brief turn as first lady in the height of the "Swinging . This video contains excerpts from the second ha. [45] A Ford family friend said that he "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. ", This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 22:04. [37][33] In January 1976, the editors of the New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "one of the most charming and popular First Ladies ever to occupy the White House". Betty had a history of taking opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve since the 1960s (which is also alluded to in episode 1 of 'The First Lady'). [7][34][37] However, polling would show that her comments were accepted by many Americans. [19][61] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision". After leaving the White House, Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers. [3] At one point, Ford disclosed to the public that her husband had previously promised her that he would retire from the House of Representatives in 1976 in order to return to private legal practice and dedicate more time to his family. [3] It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide. Stay tuned to our website for additional information. As first lady, Betty Ford was active in social policy and shattered precedents as a politically active presidential wife (Time considered her "the most since Eleanor [Roosevelt . [3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive. [5], In 1936, after graduating from high school, Bloomer proposed continuing her study of dance in New York City, but her mother refused on account of the relatively recent loss of her husband. The official cause of death listed on the Los Angeles County document obtained by CNN . For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/BettyFordRIP [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. [67] The spike in women self-examining after Ford went public with the diagnosis led to an increase in reported cases of breast cancer, a phenomenon known as the "Betty Ford blip". [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The cause given for her death was "natural. After leaving. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs. Ford won . [8], When Bloomer was 16, her father died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the family's garage while working under their car, despite the garage doors being open. "She was Jerry Ford's strength through some very difficult days in our country's history, and I admired her courage in facing and sharing her personal struggles with all of us. Article continues below advertisement. [19] The use of Ford in such a manner to promote her husband's candidacy was not the work of the campaign itself, but rather, produced by supporters outside of the campaign organization. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. Betty Ford died in 2011 at age 93, having overcome her addictions and founding the Betty Ford Center in 1982 to help other addicts recover. At this point in her life, she was married to her first husband, businessman William Warren. They married in 1948, two weeks before he was elected to his first term in Congress. She would be given prescription medication, including Valium. As a supporter of abortion rights and a leader in the women's rights movement, she gained fame as one of the most candid first ladies in history, commenting on the hot-button issues of the time, such as feminism, equal pay, the Equal Rights Amendment, sex, drugs, abortion, and gun control. She briefly continued her studies with Graham in New York City until close family ties took her back to Grand Rapids in 1941. [92] In November 1981, Ford stated that Governor of Illinois James R. Thompson had not done enough in support of the ERA as well as her disappointment with First Lady Nancy Reagan not being in favor of the measure, though also relayed her hopes to change the incumbent First Lady's mind in further encounters with her. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," she talked about marijuana, equal rights for women, abortion and the possibility of a premarital affair for her daughter, Susan. ", Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective. Leadership: Theory and Practice. [21], Both Betty and Gerald Ford refuse to comment on speculation that President Nixon might be forced out of office due to the Watergate scandal. During the general election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve. President Obama noted how Betty Ford "distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. The Betty Ford Center, which already has helped change the lives of thousands of people, will be her lasting legacy of care and concern. [3], During the primaries, Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the campaign that were broadcast in New Hampshire. In a tribute, Mark Updegrove, Director of the LBJ Library, who wrote much about the Ford family, said: Betty Ford was a thoroughly modern first ladyand among the most progressive we've ever had in the White House. Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center in California, died at age. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. Gerald and Betty Ford on their wedding day, October 15, 1948 In 1947 a friend introduced her to Gerald R. Ford, Jr., a young lawyer who had served as Navy lieutenant during World War II. [37] Ford ultimately played an important role in the 1976 election campaign. "[88], Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. [106] In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys, Ford was similarly ranked the 5th-highest in historians' assessment of first ladies' courage. By the time Betty Ford became first lady in August 1974the month her husband, Gerald Ford, succeeded Richard Nixon the former dancer had already been taking prescription pills for years to. The Golden Girls star, who passed away on Dec. 31 at age 99, died due to a cerebrovascular accident, according to her death certificate obtained by PEOPLE on Monday. [101], On July 14, a second service was held at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, with eulogies given by Lynne Cheney, former Ford Museum director Richard Norton Smith, and Ford's son Steven. [25][26] The dinner was held in the John Quincy Adam's Drawing Room, one of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the United States Department of State headquarters at the Harry S Truman Building. Betty underwent a radical mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital and inadvertently destigmatized breast cancer by addressing her illness publicly during a White House press conference. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . Her acceptance speech spoke hopefully of the prospect that attitudes towards HIV/AIDS would shift, being de-stigmatized as cancer and alcoholism had (in part due to her contribution). [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. [3], Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972. Because she suffered, there will be more healing. She worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. This prospect elated Ford. Become a member and. Shortly after becoming president in 1974, Ford said, "I am indebted to no man and to only one woman, my dear wife.". Warters, T. Alissa. That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America. She recalled that the first time she heard someone call her father an alcoholic was at his funeral. July 8, 2011 Mrs. Betty Ford passes away at 93 years of age. [63], Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. As First Lady of the United States from 1974-1977, Betty Ford was known for her candor. Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys. [21] During her time as first lady, there had even been some speculation about substance abuse by friends and members of the press who observed occasional slurred speech from Ford. In the 1950s Bette Ford turned heads and raised eyebrows when she became a model-actress-bullfighter. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. "Did they dislike her? This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. [7] Weeks later, when the Fords moved from their Virginia residence into the White House[3] their king size bed was photographed being moved into the White House, which prompted Betty to quip that they had been outed for breaking the tradition of first couples keeping separate bedrooms in the White House. On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died at home in Rancho Mirage, California at 6:45 p.m. local time (02:45, December 27, UTC). [14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death. [71] As previously mentioned, the Fords had hosted a state dinner for King Hussein months earlier, during Gerald Ford's vice presidency, on March 12, 1974, after president Nixon asked then-Vice President Ford to take over for him in hosting a planned dinner for the King. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. Emergency responders, including police, showed up at her home Friday morning as a standard procedure. That is why I loved this stuff so much. [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. [24] With her husband, as vice president, tasked with heavily campaigning on behalf of his party for the 1974 midterm elections, Ford occasionally hit the campaign trail herself. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. She continued to serve as Chairman-Emeritus of the Betty Ford Center and enjoyed her role as grandmother and great-grandmother to her still-growing family. [89] Ford continued to be an outspoken supporter of equal pay for women, breast cancer awareness, and the ERA throughout her life. After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. [3], The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. [3][20] However, notably, Ford had not managed to address her increasing prescription pain medication dependency, which sometimes saw her taking as many as twenty pills in a single day. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. "[10], On January 19, 1977, her last full day as first lady, Betty Ford used her training as a Martha Graham dancer to jump up on the Cabinet Room table. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. I embrace it, not only for me, but all the many others who are here to participate." [21] That same year, her husband brought up the possibility that he might retire from congress in 1977, which would make the 1974 United States House of Representatives election the last he would run in. Among the revelations in the biography: 1. Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. Ford did indirectly indicate her willingness to step into the role of first lady by affirming that she would make any sacrifices required for her husband to carry out his constitutional obligations, but also opined that it would be traumatic if the nation had to endure a president being forced from office. You see, Betty (played on The First Lady by Michelle Pfeiffer and Kristine Froseth) was married to William before she wed former President Gerald Ford (Aaron Eckhart). [3][19] Ford also posed for newspaper publicity photographs and was a clothing model for charity fashion shows, after a Republican had urged her to do so since they felt that Democratic Party spouses had far outnumbered Republican spouses in such publicity-generating activity. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . [80] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. [32] On September 4, 1974, weeks after becoming first lady, Ford conducted press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in which she remarked that she, "would like to be remembered in a very kind way; also as a constructive wife of a president. No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tents on the South Lawn of the White House. Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. LOS ANGELES (AP) Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, whether as a man-crazy TV hostess on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" or the loopy housemate on "The Golden Girls," has died. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. See full answer below. She also fundraised for No Greater Love, in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs. [3], After her husband's narrow defeat, there was some anecdotal speculation that Ford may have both have helped to alienate conservative Republicans from voting for her husband and at the same time helped attract him support from liberal and moderate Republicans, Democrats, and independents. AP. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. [3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). [99] On May 8, 2003, Ford received the Woodrow Wilson Award in Los Angeles for her public service, awarded by the Woodrow Wilson Center of the Smithsonian Institution. After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. Thats the way I feel. This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year, placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children. Later that day, President Ford was caught momentarily patting Betty's buttocks before the press gathered outside of their Virginia residence. Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. She involved herself in the Los Angeles AIDS Project. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. Bloomer disliked the surname. [69] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight. During her stay at the White House, her dependency on these drugs seemingly dissipated. She died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and her cause of death was not immediately clear. [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. "Ford. [3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention. [7], In May 1975, during a four-day trip,[62] Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyn Cao K to discuss Southeast Asia refugees. [4], In 1926, when she was eight years old, her mother, who valued social graces, enrolled her in the Calla Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids, where Ford was taught ballet, tap dancing, and modern movement. "[23], The media "broke" the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced, initially reporting it as a secret revelation. Betty" (2013). The campaigns of the previous three presidents that sought election to an additional term (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon) had needed to manufacture campaign publicity involving their first ladies (Mamie Eisenhower, Lady Bird Johnson, and Pat Nixon). "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. All the way there I was telling myself how it would not change anything. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. [95], Ford tackled the stigmatized issue of HIV/AIDS during the HIV/AIDS crisis. The November 12, 1974 state dinner for Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky saw the first instance in which a wine from the Fords' home state of Michigan was served at a White House state dinner, with wine from the Tabor Hill Winery being served. [3][16] The speech was delivered on the day after the election. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. Her own battle with breast cancer led to her advocacy for early breast cancer detection. As the First Lady . [15] This open affection was evident from the beginning of Gerald Ford's presidency. [24] On May 31, 1973, Ford made her first major speech when she gave a commencement address to the graduates of the Westminster Choir College. [42][43][44] Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994. She became well known for her openness. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. Betty White in her kitchen in Carmel, California. Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. [69], During their final year in the White House, the Fords hosted eleven state dinners. As our nation's first lady, she was a powerful advocate for women's health and women's rights. What was the location of death? [84], Funeral services were held in Palm Desert, California, on July 12, 2011, with more than 800 people in attendance, including former president George W. Bush, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, herself a former First Lady, former First Ladies Rosalynn Carter, who gave a eulogy,[76] and Nancy Reagan. In April 1974, she made her first official solo trip as second lady when she spent two-days visiting the states of Georgia and Tennessee to help in publicizing the "ARTRAIN", which was a traveling exhibit of art, visual displays, and performance pieces housed in six railway cars, and which was to travel through small towns across the southern United States. 12/26/2018 05:25 AM EST. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. Ford was observed audibly telling her husband "I love you" following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president. She knew the name from his . [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. Kalb shares a few things you may not know about the 38th . By not being the "political wife" of self-sacrificing legend, she both reflected and advanced public views about women in politics. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. She was working in a fashion job in Grand Rapids where Gerald lived. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. [3], As she had previously been with her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, Ford was transparent with the public about her addictions and admittance to rehab. Ford also, in a television interview with Barbara Walters, expressed her support for the United States Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision ruling abortion as constitutionally protected. It was just that they were accustomed to the more formal atmosphere prevailing under the Nixons. Betty Ford, the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, died at the age of 93. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing. This is my problem". Ford succeeded in getting sober. Betty Ford, or Elizabeth Anne Ford, was the wife of the 38th U.S. president, Gerald Ford, and thus the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. [40] In 1977, the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most-influential American women. [3][21] Her candor on this trip received a positive reception by the news media..[21] Among those she met on the two-day trip was Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. At one point, they lived in Toledo, Ohio, where Elizabeth was employed at the department store Lasalle & Koch as a demonstrator, a job that entailed being a model and saleswoman. The 2008 survey also ranked Ford the 5th-highest in their assessment of first ladies who were their own women as well as 5th-highest in courage. By February 1948 the couple was engaged to be married. However, not everything Ford did as first lady broke tradition. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. As we told you back in 2020, Betty rarely left her home once the COVID-19 pandemic began.. [65] Ford decided to be open about her illness because "There had been so much cover-up during Watergate that we wanted to be sure there would be no cover-up in the Ford administration. [7], When Ford herself began the process of recovering from her own alcoholism, she disclosed to the public that both her father and her brother Bob had suffered from alcoholism as well. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. She disclosed her alcoholism through a statement that a family spokesman read on her behalf at a press conference (at which Ford was not herself present) held outside of the hospital. The Betty Ford Center board endorsed the merger Tuesday.
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