She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. The Fords' unlikely rise to first family started in 1973, just as they were planning on retiring from Congress. Betty Ford "became known for her openness and candor" (Northouse, 2013) and remained true to herself, she did not change who she was, or her core values because of her new position as First Lady. She had held the top post at the center since its founding. Best known for her leadership in the founding of the Betty Ford Clinic in California to treat addiction. At 8:49 p.m. local time, President Ford's wife of 58 years, Betty Ford, issued a statement that confirmed his death: "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather . [3] Ford also broke from the administration in giving her support to federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed. [19][61] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision". AP. [61][33] Ford utilized phone calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA. At the time Betty Ford, the wife of former President Gerald Ford, was one of the most admired women in the United States. Bush. Ford made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside. [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. ", This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 22:04. [75], During the Fords' 1976 trip to mainland China, when being shown an exhibition by a Chinese arts college dance group, Ford decided to join the dancers. Betty Ford was portrayed as an ideal patient within a success narrative that presented the key sequences of her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in a progressive, linear fashion that inspired optimism. That is why I loved this stuff so much. [3][5], In August 1947, she was introduced by mutual friends to Gerald Ford, a lawyer and World War II veteran who had just resumed his legal practice after returning from Navy service, and was planning to run for the United States House of Representatives. She drew boos from demonstrators against the Equal Rights Amendment in stating, "This exhibit about neglected Americans should give us strength and courage to seek equal rights for women today."[64]. [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. [3][97] In 1999, she and President Ford were jointly awarded Congressional Gold Medals. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. Betty Ford, the outspoken and much-admired wife of President Gerald R. Ford who overcame alcoholism and an addiction to pills and helped found one of the best-known rehabilitation centers in. The organization sought to bring together political spouses and female government federal employees to discuss current party activates and ideas about legislation. White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table. See full answer below. Ill health prevented Ford from attending the funeral of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson's in July 2007, and her daughter Susan Ford Bales instead represented her at the funeral service. Bloomer disliked the surname. [3][14][17] Gerald Ford had ambitions to rise to the rank of speaker of the house, and therefore maintained a busy travel schedule, regularly crisscrossing the United States to fundraise and campaign on behalf of other Republicans in hopes that they would, in turn, provide him with the support he'd eventually need to become speaker. [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. She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). Ford, a Republican who served in the White House from 1974 to 1977, was 93 when he passed away at . [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. But the main point was, it was best for the country.". As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . [115] That same year, Ford received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by her husband, President Gerald Ford, an Academy Awards Council member. [3], Ford was also used, both by Ford supporters and detractors, as a symbol of liberal Republicanism, with her politics contrasting with the Republican Party's conservative and moderate wings. Soon after leaving office, she raised awareness of addiction when she sought help for and publicly disclosed her long-running struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse. Since 1982 Siena College Research Institute has conducted occasional surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president. The 10-episode biographical drama, which . [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. [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. Throughout her husband's term in office, she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady. 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. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. [3] Gerald Ford was confirmed as vice president by the United States Congress on December 6, 1973, and Gerald Ford took the oath of office before a joint session of the United States Congress, placing his hand upon a bible which Betty Ford held. [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. Betty White died from a stroke suffered on Dec. 25, 2021, six days before her Dec. 31 death at age 99, according to her death certificate, the Associated Press reports. Because the pills were prescribed by a physician, she did not believe that she had a . She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. [105] In the 2014 Siena Research Institute survey survey, Ford and her husband were ranked the 19th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple". Betty" (2013). Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. [5] Warren was an alcoholic and diabetic, and was in poor health. Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, the third child and only daughter of Hortense (ne Neahr; 1884 1948) and William Stephenson Bloomer Sr. (1874 1934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co.[3] She was called Betty as a child. Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues. She was raised by her parents William and Hortense Bloomer. As the First Lady . [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. Shortly after they married, he began to sell insurance for another company. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. "I'm not out to rescue anybody who doesn't want to be rescued," she once said. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . 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. Stay tuned to our website for additional information. Her taboo-busting honesty about abortion, sex, gay rights, marijuana and the Equal Rights . "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. [3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Courts ruling. Her own battle with breast cancer led to her advocacy for early breast cancer detection. She was the wife of President Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States. In 2005, Ford relinquished her chair of the center's board of directors to her daughter Susan. [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". 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. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. Because of her grief, there will be more joy. Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions, "when he wants me to. July 8, 2011 Mrs. Betty Ford passes away at 93 years of age. Former first lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. Dance developed into a passion for her, and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it. He was a Bristol, Tennessee, native who had a 40-year career as a music . Thus, Michelle Obama did, in fact, receive a letter from Betty Ford soon after she moved into the White House. ", President George W. Bush said he and his wife Laura "admired her as a first lady and valued her as a friend. [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. [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. It was something the couple neither expected or wanted, Betty Ford recalled in her memoirs. In 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center in California. Betty Ford (1918-2011) was the wife of Gerald Ford, who was the 38th president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. 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. Betty Ford was at his side. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. [3][16] The speech was delivered on the day after the election. [3], During the campaign, many Ford supporters wore campaign buttons with phrases like "Betty's Husband for President in '76" and "Keep Betty in the White House". [107][108] In the 2014 Siena Research Institute survey, historians ranked Ford 3rd-highest among 20th and 21st century First Ladies in the greatness of post-White House service, 3rd-highest in advancement of women's issues, and 4th-highest in creating a lasting legacy. Betty Ford was 93 years old when she died; therefore, she can be said to have died from old age. [84] When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin. 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. She was 93 years old when she died. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. [3], After Gerald Ford's defeat by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election she delivered her husband's concession speech because he had lost his voice while campaigning. On April 1, 1978, her family staged an intervention which forced her to acknowledge the negative impact that her addiction was having on her health and family relationships. Murray Close/SHOWTIME. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. Kalb shares a few things you may not know about the 38th . In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. The Washington Post reported that Ford's disclosure of alcoholism came as a surprise to a number of Ford's close friends, who had regarded her as merely a social drinker and were oblivious to her drinking problem. [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. Betty Ford. [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. Because she suffered, there will be more healing. In December 1999, he told interviewer Larry King that he, too, was pro-abortion rights and had been criticized for that stance by conservative forces within the Republican Party. LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. In 2003, Ford produced another book, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. The official cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning despite the garage door being open, but Betty acknowledged later in her life that her father very likely died by suicide. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. [87] She served as chair of the board of directors. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. [33] On June 30, 1976, Ford attended the opening of "Remember the Ladies", a Revolutionary War-era women's exhibit. [84], Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking in favor of same-sex marriage and against discrimination in the United States military. [3][75] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. 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. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. Betty Ford Biography Betty Ford, the United States' first lady, was born on April 8, 1918. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. Because of her leadership, many lives were saved.". She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. Live July 9, 2011 -- Former first lady Betty Ford, whose candor about her own battles with substance abuse helped erase much of the stigma attached to addiction, has died. [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. 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). Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. One day in 1934, when she was 16, Betty came home and her father, a traveling salesman who had recently lost his job, had. Betty was 93 years old at the time of death. Betty's two older brothers were Robert (d. 1971) and . Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press, resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. 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. Seated (lr): Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Ford; Standing (lr): Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, President Bill Clinton speaks with the Fords at the White House ceremony awarding the at a 1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the 1994 National Garden Gala, which was themed "A Tribune to America's First Ladies". Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. [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 married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. White's death was confirmed Friday by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. LR: Nancy Reagan, Ladybird Johnson , Hillary Clinton, Rosalyn Carter, Ford, Barbara Bush, The Fords post for a photograph with three other U.S. first couples (George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter) during at the 2000 White House Historical Association Dinner, Ford attends a National Press Club event in 2001, The Fords with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2003 at a celebration President Ford's 90th birthday, Ford and her husband at a June 2005 Gerald R. Ford Foundation dinner, Betty Ford with her husband and President George W. 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