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The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. 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. [3][75] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. ", Tasha N. Dubriwny, "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient.". She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. 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. She further taught ballroom dancing lessons for children with visual impairment and hearing loss and gave weekly dance lessons to African American children. "And if they'd asked me that I would have told them," she said, adding that her response would be, "As often as possible. It was something the couple neither expected or wanted, Betty Ford recalled in her memoirs. [3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults. 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. She was called Betty as a child.. Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. [61], Ford successfully lobbied her husband to, in 1975, sign an executive order to establish the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year. As was the case during Gerald Ford's vice presidential swearing-in, Betty Ford held the bible upon which he placed his hand while taking his oath of office. One of the major strengths of authentic leadership is that it fulfills and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. Gerald and Betty Ford with Richard and Pat Nixon as the latter depart the White House in disgrace on August 9, 1974. [54] She placed first in 1975. Gerald Ford: Gerald Ford was president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. develop an addiction to prescription medication, 1974 United States House of Representatives election, 1972 United States House of Representatives elections, joint session of the United States Congress, Ford filmed an interview with the television news program, National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam, List of state dinners in the United States, wine from the Fords' home state of Michigan, discrimination in the United States military, List of breast cancer patients according to occupation, List of first ladies of the United States, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, "Betty Ford Dies at Age 93; A Look Back on the Former First Lady", "Betty Ford, Again Putting On a Brave Face", "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum", "The 38th First Lady: not a robot at all", "Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93", "Betty's life changed dramatically once she became", "Friends Asking: 'Is There A New Betty Ford? [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. [69], Among the most notable state dinners the Fords hosted was a July 7, 1976 state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. She had held the top post at the center since its founding. 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. [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. The President outlined his criteria for the post: quality, confirmability, ageso that the nominee could be there for a whilebreadth on the Court so the Court did not have eight people of any. White whose full . Her father's tragic death. They took away my tension and my pain". [45][48], Ford was popular with the American public. As First Lady of the United States from 1974-1977, Betty Ford was known for her candor. By February 1948 the couple was engaged to be married. [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. 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. [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. If she could help women win full equal rights with men under the U.S. Constitution, Betty Ford wanted to give it her all. Betty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. As it turns out, Betty Ford did send a letter to Michelle Obama. "My understanding is it was natural causes. But the approach was almost unheard of decades ago when the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation came to be. Betty Ford was known as a vivacious activist for women's rights. 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. [3], Before the end of December, Ford played a role in establishing the Republican Women's Federal Forum, partnering with Barbara Bush, whose husband George H. W. Bush was chairman of the Republican National Committee at the time. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. She made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse. Murray Close/SHOWTIME. [3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive. [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. [19], In 1977, the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California. His wife, Betty, was the first lady during this time period. [42][43][44] Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. [117], Second Lady of the United States (19731974), First Lady of the United States (19741977), Ranking in Gallup's annual poll of "Most Admired Women", Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction, Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 31, 2006). ", McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. Emergency responders, including police, showed up at her home Friday morning as a standard procedure. "[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). Days later, Ford also disclosed to the public that she had come to realize that she was additionally an alcoholic. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. [3] Ford also held active membership in groups such as the 81st Congress Club and National Federation of Republican Women. Ford had believed it to be of great importance for the administration to show an expression of direct concern pertaining to the assassination, while Nixon's staff disagreed with her. [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. "[88], Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. ', "October 10, 1973: Vice President Spiro Agnew Resigns", "How Betty Ford Made History Inside The White House and Beyond", "Betty Ford: unaffected, but not a 'plain country girl', "March 13, 1974 - Vice President and King Hussein of Jordan", "Betty Ford: Feminist, Social Liberal, Republican", "Betty Ford as First Lady: A Woman for Women", "Back in View, a First Lady With Her Own Legacy", "Betty's popularity rises because of her big mouth", "Presidents Advisors Urging Bigger Role for Betty Ford", "Digitized from Box 39 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library", "Person of the Year: A Photo History - TIME", "Betty Ford, again putting on a brave face", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Watch Betty Ford's Memorable Cameo", "LOOK: Proof Betty Ford Was A Total Badass", "The story behind an iconic Betty Ford photo", "Then and Now: First Ladies | Roper Center for Public Opinion Research", "12 Jan 1984, 9 - The News and Observer at Newspapers.com", "Religious leaders make gains in most-admired lists", "First lady Nancy Reagan is most-admired woman", "Bush, Gorbachev Are 1-2 In Popularity Poll", "President, Barbara Bush Top 'Most Admired' Lists", "1 Jan 1978, 21 - Tampa Bay Times at Newspapers.com", "Carter First On 'Most Admired Man' List", "Reagan Replaces Pope as Most Admired Man", "Golda Meir Named As 'Most Admired'; Betty Ford Second", "Special Encore PresentationInterview with Gerald Ford", "Betty Ford 'in TipTop Shape' After Grueling FourDay Trip", "Mrs. Ford Helps 'Remember the Ladies' of Revolutionary Era", "A Certain Comfort: Betty Ford as First Lady", "Notable State Dinners at the White House", "Top 10 Memorable State-Dinner Moments - TIME", "That time FDR served hot dogs to the king, and three other strange state dinner facts", "Factbox: Notable first ladies and their travels", "After Funeral Service, Betty Ford Buried Next to Husband", "NBC News Signs Betty Ford to Pact For Two Specials", "Equal Rights Plan and Abortion Are Opposed by 15,000 at Rally", "Betty Ford Says That She Is Addicted to Alcohol", "Former first lady Betty Ford says the six years", "Addiction Treatment Betty Ford Center Rancho Mirage, CA", "Betty Ford targets children of addicted families", "Former First Lady and Women's Rights Advocate: Betty Ford", "Betty Ford, The Junior League of Grand Rapids", "Former first lady Betty Ford says she is disappointed", "Betty Ford's death marks the passing of a lost generation of moderate Republican women", "Heroes of the Presidential Medal of Freedom", "Fords receive congressional gold medal - October 27, 1999", "Palm Springs Walk of Stars: By Date Dedicated", "Ex-First Lady, Advocate for Substance Abuse Treatment Betty Ford Dies", "Betty Ford Funeral: Family, Friends Eulogize Former First Lady", "Betty Ford Sculpture Unveiled at Ford Museum", "Eleanor Roosevelt Retains Top Spot as America's Best First Lady Michelle Obama Enters Study as 5th, Hillary Clinton Drops to 6th Clinton Seen First Lady Most as Presidential Material; Laura Bush, Pat Nixon, Mamie Eisenhower, Bess Truman Could Have Done More in Office Eleanor & FDR Top Power Couple; Mary Drags Lincolns Down in the Ratings", "Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2nd Place Hillary moves from 5th to 4th; Jackie Kennedy from 4th to 3rd Mary Todd Lincoln Remains in 36th", "Ranking America's First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt Still #1 Abigail Adams Regains 2nd Place Hillary moves from 2nd to 5th; Jackie Kennedy from 7th to 4th Mary Todd Lincoln Up From Usual Last Place", "The Zogby Poll: Greatness of the past 12 First Ladies", "Here's how 20 real-life first ladies compare to the actors who have played them", "White House Couples That Have Been Portrayed on Screen", "Review | 'The First Lady' turns three compelling women into Emmy bait", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Ashley, Jeffrey S. "The Social and Political Influence of Betty Ford: Betty Bloomer Blossoms", Borrelli, Maryanne. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. "[34] Ford was open about the benefits of psychiatric treatment, and spoke understandingly about marijuana use and premarital sex. 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. Ford's family has traveled to California and expects to arrange a service in Palm Springs soon, Barbara Lewandrowski, a family spokeswoman, told The Associated Press. Ford surprised the media and the public by explicitly supporting a woman's right to an abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and grass roots activism. 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. [3][16] The speech was delivered on the day after the election. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. [66], According to Tasha N. Dubriwny, the massive media coverage of Ford's mastectomy was constrained by stereotypical gender roles, particularly the need for breast cancer patients to maintain their femininity. [96], On November 18, 1991, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. [40] By late-1975, Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America's most popular first ladies. Tennessee Ernie Ford, as he came to be known, was an ordinary man but his overwhelming success later led to his downfall. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. ", Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation History. Born in Lake View Hospital, Betty Ford spent the first weeks of her life with her parents and brother in an apartment in the East Rogers Park suburb of Chicago, but the family shortly after relocated to Denver, Colorado. [33], Ford was also unapologetically pro-abortion rights. 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. [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. All the way there I was telling myself how it would not change anything. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs. Ford won . [5] Warren was an alcoholic and diabetic, and was in poor health. [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,[77] and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs. "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. "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. [98] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. Her candor in talking about and dealing with substance abuse and treatment helped led to an improvement in how Americans talk about such matters. [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. In 2004, Ford reaffirmed her pro-abortion rights stance and her support for the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, as well as her belief in and support for the ratification of the ERA. Penn State World Campus (2013). "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. "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. [3] As a mother, Ford never spanked or hit her children, believing that there were better, more constructive ways to deal with discipline and punishment. Fellow first lady Nancy Reagan also was "deeply saddened" by the news. "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], 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. Elizabeth Anne Ford (ne Bloomer; formerly Warren;[2] April 8, 1918 July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. ", President Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who succeeded the Fords in the White House, recalled "a close personal friend and our frequent partner in bipartisan efforts to improve mental health and substance abuse care in our nation. Ford was observed audibly telling her husband "I love you" following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president. You may not think that creating a humane, healing environment for people with addiction is a remarkable concept. [3][97] In 1999, she and President Ford were jointly awarded Congressional Gold Medals. Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . In addition to founding the Betty Ford Center, she remained active in women's issues, taking on numerous speaking engagements and lending her name to charities for fundraising. The Fords' unlikely rise to first family started in 1973, just as they were planning on retiring from Congress. Betty Ford. Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. 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. Bush on April 23, 2006, Ford leans over President Ford's coffin during memorial services for him held December 30, 2006 in the United States Capitol rotunda as part of the his state funeral, Ford being escorted by Army Major General Guy C. Swan III during a portion of the state funeral of her late husband, Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [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. Your cross will be his work. "[28] Ford ultimately became a popular and impactful first lady. She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. Betty Ford may be the most famous and least known First Lady in history. (National Archives Identifier 187012) Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. [98] That same year, she and President Ford were given a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. However, Ford simply responded by giving the explanation that it was not something she had tried to hide, but, rather, something she had only not shared with the news media because none of them had broached the topic in their previous questions to her. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. [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. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. 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. We were proud to know her. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. [36] As first lady, remarking on her honest candor and the sometimes-controversial remarks it resulted in, Ford declared, "I am not very good at making up stories." [3], As she became a more active second lady, Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts. By her second birthday, however, she was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the city she always considered her home. [116] She also received that year's "Commitment to Life Award" from the Los Angeles AIDS Project. 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. This prospect elated Ford. Since the 1960s, even before she was the first lady, Betty took prescription opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve and severe arthritic pain. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967. Betty White's cause of death has been revealed.. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. [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 errected 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. [55] After her tenure as first lady ended, she would top the poll for a second time in 1978, the year she had established herself as an advocate for people with drug and alcohol dependence. After leaving the White House, Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers. 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. [21] Ford became overwhelmed by the media attention she received and became somewhat reclusive for a period early into her time as second lady. [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. [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. Neither was shy about their mutual love and equal respect, and they were known to have a strong personal and political partnership. [33] Ford took personal credit for the appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. [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. [32], Repeatedly speaking out on women's issues, Ford was a leader in the changing status of women in American society. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. [90] She was an active member of the Junior League. Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, died on this day in 2006. What was the location of death? President Obama noted how Betty Ford "distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. Bush called her, "a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. [19], During a January 1984 address in Michigan to a crowd of individuals who were in the early stages of alcohol and drug dependency treatment, Ford declared that the six years since she began her treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, "have been the best years in my life from the standpoint of feeling healthier and feeling more comfortable with myself". Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. [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. After recovering, she founded and served as the first chair of the board of directors of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. 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.

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