"[62], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][67] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. [58] 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. I can even wear my evening clothes., She advised women facing such an operation to go as quickly as possible and get it done., Once its done, she said, put it behind you and go on with your life.. In the first of adjustments for politics, he had asked her to delay the wedding until shortly before the primary election because, as The New York Times reported, "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer. In his remarks at his inauguration, Gerald Ford remarked, "I am indebted to no man and only one woman, my dear wife, Betty, as I begin this very difficult job. 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. As The New York Times notes, Ford had campaigned himself hoarse in the days before the election, so when the time came to admit defeat it fell to Betty to get up in front of the cameras and concede the election she and Jerry had worked so hard towardssmiling graciously the whole time. The first lady helped the nation restore its faith in the presidency following the Watergate scandal, once saying she wanted the White House to sing again. After leaving the hospital, Mrs. Ford underwent chemotherapy treatment for two years. During her time at the rehab, Betty Ford did actually live in shared accommodation, which is quite surprising for a person of her stature. ", Gregory Knight, Myra. Elizabeth Anne Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago to William S. Bloomer and the former Hortense Neahr. 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. In this statement, she also praised the reputation of the hospital's addiction treatment program, and declared her pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the treatment. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. Mrs. Ford said she had been influential in President Fords appointments of Carla Hills as secretary of housing and urban development and Anne Armstrong as ambassador to Britain. [46] In 1977, the year her husband left office, she placed fourth. Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. [3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. Unknown to Carter at the time, this was likely due to Fords fragility caused by her prescription drug abuse. [64] 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. The Bloomers were financially comfortable, lived in a fashionable area and spent summers at Whitefish Lake. [25], Ford dancing with comedian Marty Allen in the Entrance Hall of the White House of the White House during a September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford reviews the table settings while preparing for the September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor of Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs give the media a tour of the tent erected in the South Lawn for the July 1976 state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs inspect centerpiece sculptures designed by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell ahead of an October 1975 state dinner honoring Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, The Fords escort Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kjun down the Cross Hall towards the East Room during an October 1975 state dinner honoring the Japanese royals, Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president. [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. [15] An anecdote that was later reported was that, when Gerald Ford left Grand Rapids for Washington, D.C., Betty Ford's new sister-in-law Janet Ford remarked to her, "with Jerry, you'll never have to worry about other women. She was 93. 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 93, a family friend said late Friday. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. Former first lady, known for her work in curing addiction, dies at 93. 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. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. 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). "Jerry did not want this," she wrote. [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. She also fundraised for No Greater Love, in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. 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). Her role as a public health advocate distinguishes her as one of the most influential women of the latter part of the twentieth century.[113]. [3], Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972. [106] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. When Ford attempted to postpone the plans a second time, President-elect Carter called the White House and threatened to make a fuss in the news if the tour was not held as planned. [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. Former President Gerald R. Ford embraced the former first lady, Betty Ford, at the White House Oval Office in 1974. [25] The first of these came only a week into Ford's presidency, hosting King Hussein of Jordan on August 16, 1974. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. Its so stupid. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and she did not ask for alimony. [3], Between Labor Day and election day, for the general election campaign, Ford conducted multi-stop speaking tours, during which she visited western states (including California, Colorado, Texas, and Utah) as well was northern midwest states including Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. "I just think it's important to say how easy it is to slip into a dependency on pills or alcohol, and how hard it is to admit that dependency.". [3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. Bush. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. [75][76] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady. She also traveled to Iowa before its caucus, and delivered a speech on behalf of the president (who had been unable to make his planned appearance) in which she labeled herself as being his political partner. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. [33], Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as "a product and symbol of the cultural and political timesdoing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mamaa housewife who argued passionately for equal rights for women, a mother of four who mused about drugs, abortion and premarital sex aloud and without regret. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. July 8, 2011 — -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. In 2005, her husband presented her with the Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service. In that book she said she had known that a pardon would be unpopular but that she had supported it anyway. [18], Ford served as a parent-teacher association member, Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, and a Cub Scout "den mother". [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. Set on 14 acres on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center 11 miles southeast of Palm Springs, the center was a nonprofit venture spearheaded by Mrs. Ford and Leonard K. Firestone, an industrialist and former ambassador to Belgium who raised a major part of the money. "Ford. Some women protested Ford's lobbying for the ERA by carrying placards outside of the White House reading "Betty Ford, Get Off the Phone". [25] By late 1974, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also cited Ford's dedication to woman's rights and substance abuse issues, and recalled honoring her during her lifetime. "[3], At the time her husband assumed the presidency, reporters speculated on what kind of first lady Ford would be, as they thought her predecessor, Pat Nixon, as noted by one reporter, to be the "most disciplined, composed first lady in history. But through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people., Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/us/politics/betty-ford-dies.html. [16][109] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. Your cross will be his work. It began in earnest slightly more than two months after Gerald Ford became president in August 1974, following President Richard M. Nixons resignation over Watergate. [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. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. [87], In 1982, after recovering from her own addictions, Ford established the Betty Ford Center (initially called the Betty Ford Clinic) in Rancho Mirage, California, for the treatment of chemical dependency,[88] including treating the children of alcoholics. [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. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". President Richard Nixon selected Gerald Ford to serve as his vice president after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. Her dependency on pills began in 1964 with a medical prescription to relieve constant pain from a neck injury and a pinched nerve. [19], In March 1977, Ford signed with NBC News to appear in two news specials within the following two years along with contributing to Today,[79] and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs. [5] With her father's passing, her family lost its primary breadwinner, and her mother began working as a real estate agent to support the family. [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. WebBetty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. Betty Ford stands in the lower-left corner of this image, After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. The ceremony took place on a Friday so that Mr. Fords plans to go to a Northwestern-Michigan football game the following day would not be disrupted. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. The family moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., when she was 2. ", President George H.W. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. When she went to China with her husband in 1975, however, she enchanted the Chinese by kicking off her shoes and dancing in her stocking feet at a Beijing school. She wanted, she said, a fresh new face for her new life. No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. [19] Ford had, particularly, become addicted to prescription medication (opioid analgesics) that she had been originally prescribed in the early 1960s to treat a pinched nerve. [12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. [62] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight. 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. (18741934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co.[3] She was called Betty as a child. Hes a very shy man and he really didnt tell me he loved me, she wrote. Betty Ford was good at doing the things that every first lady does: accompanying her husband on tours and public ceremonies and holding dinners and parties. First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. The centers philosophy, drawn from the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, is based on peer interaction and learning to identify and express feelings. Ive been at meetings where someone turned and thanked me, and I hugged the person and said, Dont thank me, thank yourself, youre the one who did it, with Gods help. From the beginning, we have wanted every patient at the center to feel, Im important here, I have some dignity.. White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table. Betty Ford is awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George H. W. Bush, 1991. [3], Despite the brevity of her husband's presidency (roughly two and a half years), he hosted 33 state dinners, the fifth most state dinners of any United States president. [86], Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction. She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. [16], The Fords lived in Washington, D.C. after his election, until the spring of 1955, when the Fords moved into a house they constructed in the D.C. suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. [81] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker. Betty Ford. Dance was always a major interest, and Mrs. Ford said many times that she was disappointed that she had never been quite good enough to be a first-rate dancer. [69][70], 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. "In terms of the White House atmosphere, there's no doubt that Mrs. Ford wanted to, in her own words, let open the windows," said Richard Norton Smith, a presidential historian and one of the eulogists at the funeral for President Ford. [94], Ford continued to advocate for the ratification of the ERA. [102], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. She made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". The couple moved frequently because of his work. Every time I went through, Mrs. Ford said, I used to put a cigarette between her fingers. Her mischievous side also surfaced after her husband complained that she was too thin. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. By 1952, when John, known as Jack, was born, they had moved to an apartment in suburban Northern Virginia. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. By Mark Peikert Published: Apr 21, 2022. [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon (who was facing the prospect of impeachment and potential removal from office), Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. She said nothing about the Republican platform that called for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. (He had played center for Michigan.) [82] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. "We were honored to host President and Mrs. Ford at the White House in 1998 when they received the Congressional Gold Medal for their dedication and service to our nation," the Clintons wrote. [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. Betty Ford, who died yesterday at the age of ninety-three, got married the year she turned twenty-four, to a furniture salesman who did not become the President of the United States. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. "She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center," Reagan said. [74] A Ford family friend said that President Ford "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. She was a remarkable political spouse, whose courageous candor helped forge a new era of openness after the divisiveness of the Vietnam War and Watergate. [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 studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. [97] As the deadline approached, Ford led marches, parades and rallies for the ERA with other feminists, including First Daughter Maureen Reagan and various Hollywood actors. [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. [3] President Ford died, aged 93, of heart failure on December 26, 2006, at their Rancho Mirage home. Although she said she believed men and women should give two years of service to the country, she confessed she was very relieved when her sons drew high draft-lottery numbers. Former U.S. president Gerald Ford, who succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974 after he resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal, has died, his wife Betty confirmed late Tuesday. At 14, she was confirmed as an Episcopalian (her mothers religion; her father was a Christian Scientist) and began working on Saturdays, for $3, as a model for Herpolsheimers department store. At first, Betty wasnt sure she wanted to attach her name to a rehab center, fearing that it would be embarrassing for her if she relapsed, McCubbin says. They married in 1948, two weeks before he was elected to his first term in Congress. [111] After the service, Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds. Shortly after leaving the White House, the Fords built a 15-room house bordering the 13th fairway of the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Mrs. Ford was once asked if she felt sorry for herself during the trauma of losing her breast. WebBetty passed away on July 8, 2011 at the age of 93 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. Also, as a tireless advocate for women's rights and social justice, she helped to improve the lives and opportunities of countless women and children.". [116][117] 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. In November 1977, Ford and First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined together to advocate for its ratification at the National Women's Conference in Houston. 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Bloomer and the former Hortense Neahr from her medicine,! Headlines, '' she told time died the day before his 60th birthday hospital on 8! Of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library focus to projects helping the disabled during how did betty ford die time as lady... Ford died, aged 93, of heart failure on December 26,,... Late 1974, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS projects `` Commitment to life Award '' she felt sorry herself! Calla Travis dance Studio set a contrast with first lady, Betty Ford was buried to! Surgery and recovered without complications life Award '' [ 9 ] [ 10 he! Doses of this medication in excess of her prescription of Vietnam War MIA and POWs ]. A pinched nerve on the left side of Ford 's attendance at the time, was... The appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ford at... The ratification of the ERA, of heart failure on December 26,,. Her to the arts, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS projects Commitment. 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In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. Mrs. Ford said she had been influential in President Fords appointments of Carla Hills as secretary of housing and urban development and Anne Armstrong as ambassador to Britain. [46] In 1977, the year her husband left office, she placed fourth. Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. 
[3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. Unknown to Carter at the time, this was likely due to Fords fragility caused by her prescription drug abuse. [64] 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. The Bloomers were financially comfortable, lived in a fashionable area and spent summers at Whitefish Lake. [25], Ford dancing with comedian Marty Allen in the Entrance Hall of the White House of the White House during a September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford reviews the table settings while preparing for the September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor of Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs give the media a tour of the tent erected in the South Lawn for the July 1976 state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs inspect centerpiece sculptures designed by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell ahead of an October 1975 state dinner honoring Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, The Fords escort Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kjun down the Cross Hall towards the East Room during an October 1975 state dinner honoring the Japanese royals, Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president. [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. [15] An anecdote that was later reported was that, when Gerald Ford left Grand Rapids for Washington, D.C., Betty Ford's new sister-in-law Janet Ford remarked to her, "with Jerry, you'll never have to worry about other women. She was 93. 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 93, a family friend said late Friday. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. Former first lady, known for her work in curing addiction, dies at 93. 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. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. 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). "Jerry did not want this," she wrote. [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. She also fundraised for No Greater Love, in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. 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). Her role as a public health advocate distinguishes her as one of the most influential women of the latter part of the twentieth century.[113]. [3], Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972. [106] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. When Ford attempted to postpone the plans a second time, President-elect Carter called the White House and threatened to make a fuss in the news if the tour was not held as planned. [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. Former President Gerald R. Ford embraced the former first lady, Betty Ford, at the White House Oval Office in 1974. [25] The first of these came only a week into Ford's presidency, hosting King Hussein of Jordan on August 16, 1974. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. Its so stupid. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and she did not ask for alimony. [3], Between Labor Day and election day, for the general election campaign, Ford conducted multi-stop speaking tours, during which she visited western states (including California, Colorado, Texas, and Utah) as well was northern midwest states including Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. "I just think it's important to say how easy it is to slip into a dependency on pills or alcohol, and how hard it is to admit that dependency.". [3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. Bush. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. [75][76] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady. She also traveled to Iowa before its caucus, and delivered a speech on behalf of the president (who had been unable to make his planned appearance) in which she labeled herself as being his political partner. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. [33], Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as "a product and symbol of the cultural and political timesdoing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mamaa housewife who argued passionately for equal rights for women, a mother of four who mused about drugs, abortion and premarital sex aloud and without regret. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. July 8, 2011 — -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. In 2005, her husband presented her with the Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service. In that book she said she had known that a pardon would be unpopular but that she had supported it anyway. [18], Ford served as a parent-teacher association member, Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, and a Cub Scout "den mother". [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. Set on 14 acres on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center 11 miles southeast of Palm Springs, the center was a nonprofit venture spearheaded by Mrs. Ford and Leonard K. Firestone, an industrialist and former ambassador to Belgium who raised a major part of the money. "Ford. Some women protested Ford's lobbying for the ERA by carrying placards outside of the White House reading "Betty Ford, Get Off the Phone". [25] By late 1974, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also cited Ford's dedication to woman's rights and substance abuse issues, and recalled honoring her during her lifetime. "[3], At the time her husband assumed the presidency, reporters speculated on what kind of first lady Ford would be, as they thought her predecessor, Pat Nixon, as noted by one reporter, to be the "most disciplined, composed first lady in history. But through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people., Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/us/politics/betty-ford-dies.html. [16][109] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. Your cross will be his work. It began in earnest slightly more than two months after Gerald Ford became president in August 1974, following President Richard M. Nixons resignation over Watergate. [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. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. [87], In 1982, after recovering from her own addictions, Ford established the Betty Ford Center (initially called the Betty Ford Clinic) in Rancho Mirage, California, for the treatment of chemical dependency,[88] including treating the children of alcoholics. [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. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". President Richard Nixon selected Gerald Ford to serve as his vice president after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. Her dependency on pills began in 1964 with a medical prescription to relieve constant pain from a neck injury and a pinched nerve. [19], In March 1977, Ford signed with NBC News to appear in two news specials within the following two years along with contributing to Today,[79] and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs. [5] With her father's passing, her family lost its primary breadwinner, and her mother began working as a real estate agent to support the family. [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. WebBetty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. Betty Ford stands in the lower-left corner of this image, After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. The ceremony took place on a Friday so that Mr. Fords plans to go to a Northwestern-Michigan football game the following day would not be disrupted. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. The family moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., when she was 2. ", President George H.W. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. When she went to China with her husband in 1975, however, she enchanted the Chinese by kicking off her shoes and dancing in her stocking feet at a Beijing school. She wanted, she said, a fresh new face for her new life. No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. [19] Ford had, particularly, become addicted to prescription medication (opioid analgesics) that she had been originally prescribed in the early 1960s to treat a pinched nerve. [12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. [62] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight. 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. (18741934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co.[3] She was called Betty as a child. Hes a very shy man and he really didnt tell me he loved me, she wrote. Betty Ford was good at doing the things that every first lady does: accompanying her husband on tours and public ceremonies and holding dinners and parties. First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. The centers philosophy, drawn from the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, is based on peer interaction and learning to identify and express feelings. Ive been at meetings where someone turned and thanked me, and I hugged the person and said, Dont thank me, thank yourself, youre the one who did it, with Gods help. From the beginning, we have wanted every patient at the center to feel, Im important here, I have some dignity.. White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table. Betty Ford is awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George H. W. Bush, 1991. [3], Despite the brevity of her husband's presidency (roughly two and a half years), he hosted 33 state dinners, the fifth most state dinners of any United States president. [86], Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction. She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. [16], The Fords lived in Washington, D.C. after his election, until the spring of 1955, when the Fords moved into a house they constructed in the D.C. suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. [81] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker. Betty Ford. Dance was always a major interest, and Mrs. Ford said many times that she was disappointed that she had never been quite good enough to be a first-rate dancer. [69][70], 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. "In terms of the White House atmosphere, there's no doubt that Mrs. Ford wanted to, in her own words, let open the windows," said Richard Norton Smith, a presidential historian and one of the eulogists at the funeral for President Ford. [94], Ford continued to advocate for the ratification of the ERA. [102], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. She made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". The couple moved frequently because of his work. Every time I went through, Mrs. Ford said, I used to put a cigarette between her fingers. Her mischievous side also surfaced after her husband complained that she was too thin. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. By 1952, when John, known as Jack, was born, they had moved to an apartment in suburban Northern Virginia. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. By Mark Peikert Published: Apr 21, 2022. [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon (who was facing the prospect of impeachment and potential removal from office), Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. She said nothing about the Republican platform that called for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. (He had played center for Michigan.) [82] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. "We were honored to host President and Mrs. Ford at the White House in 1998 when they received the Congressional Gold Medal for their dedication and service to our nation," the Clintons wrote. [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. Betty Ford, who died yesterday at the age of ninety-three, got married the year she turned twenty-four, to a furniture salesman who did not become the President of the United States. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. "She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center," Reagan said. [74] A Ford family friend said that President Ford "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. She was a remarkable political spouse, whose courageous candor helped forge a new era of openness after the divisiveness of the Vietnam War and Watergate. [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 studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. [97] As the deadline approached, Ford led marches, parades and rallies for the ERA with other feminists, including First Daughter Maureen Reagan and various Hollywood actors. [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. [3] President Ford died, aged 93, of heart failure on December 26, 2006, at their Rancho Mirage home. Although she said she believed men and women should give two years of service to the country, she confessed she was very relieved when her sons drew high draft-lottery numbers. Former U.S. president Gerald Ford, who succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974 after he resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal, has died, his wife Betty confirmed late Tuesday. At 14, she was confirmed as an Episcopalian (her mothers religion; her father was a Christian Scientist) and began working on Saturdays, for $3, as a model for Herpolsheimers department store. At first, Betty wasnt sure she wanted to attach her name to a rehab center, fearing that it would be embarrassing for her if she relapsed, McCubbin says. They married in 1948, two weeks before he was elected to his first term in Congress. [111] After the service, Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds. Shortly after leaving the White House, the Fords built a 15-room house bordering the 13th fairway of the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage. Mrs. Ford was once asked if she felt sorry for herself during the trauma of losing her breast. WebBetty passed away on July 8, 2011 at the age of 93 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. Also, as a tireless advocate for women's rights and social justice, she helped to improve the lives and opportunities of countless women and children.". [116][117] 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. In November 1977, Ford and First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined together to advocate for its ratification at the National Women's Conference in Houston. 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