The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon's presidency. Betty Ford (1918-2011) was the wife of Gerald Ford, who was the 38th president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. Become a member and. [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. What many don't know is that she was also a talented modern dancer. Betty Ford passed away in June 2011 at the age of 93. For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/BettyFordRIP A month after Betty Ford died, the Sun admonished the center in a strongly worded editorial headlined "Betty Ford Center, family must heal to heal others." The paper questioned the. Asked about her illness, she said, "I'm very glad that I brought cancer to the forefront.". During her stay at the White House, her dependency on these drugs seemingly dissipated. [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". Betty Ford. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. Ford was observed audibly telling her husband "I love you" following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president. . I'm sure I've saved at least one personmaybe more. This prospect elated Ford. She served as the honorary president of the National Lupus Foundation, regarding lupus as a disease which impacted women, yet received minimal public attention. In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year, placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children. [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. [3][24] Ford was the only individual in attendance at the funeral not directly ingrained in the civil rights movement, with the exception of Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. It was not until 2016 that a Michigan wine would again be served at a White House state dinner. By not being the "political wife" of self-sacrificing legend, she both reflected and advanced public views about women in politics. 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. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. "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.". [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." Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. [85], 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,[86] including treating the children of alcoholics. Article continues below advertisement. [41], The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication (and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978). For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. "[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. The Los Angeles lair, as well as her home in Carmel, were known to have stuffed-animal rooms. The series lovers highly anticipate the show and are peculiar to know about Betty Ford's first husband. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . Betty Ford began taking prescription pain killers in the 1960s for a pinched nerve. [109], In 2021, Zogby Analytics conducted a poll in which a sample of the American public was asked to assess the greatness of twelve First Ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy onwards. [103], Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. Since she passed, fans have wondered what Betty White's cause of death was and how she died three weeks before her 100th birthday. Tennessee Ernie Ford, as he came to be known, was an ordinary man but his overwhelming success later led to his downfall. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. The cause given for her death was "natural. As we told you back in 2020, Betty rarely left her home once the COVID-19 pandemic began.. Betty" (2013). [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. [3][12] With her husband assuming the office of vice president, Ford became the second lady of the United States. If she could help women win full equal rights with men under the U.S. Constitution, Betty Ford wanted to give it her all. "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. Her role as a public health advocate distinguishes her as one of the most influential women of the latter part of the twentieth century.[104]. As it turns out, Betty Ford did send a letter to Michelle Obama. During her time in the White House, she also admitted to taking Valium. But the main point was, it was best for the country.". She died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. 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. 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]. Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois, and spent most of her childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [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. After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. 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 . The union did not last, and they divorced amicably several years later. She also fundraised for No Greater Love, in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs. Established in 1949 on lakeside acreage in Center City, Minnesota, the Hazelden Betty Ford . One of the major strengths of authentic leadership is that it fulfills and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society. 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". "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. Bloomer disliked the surname. Among the revelations in the biography: 1. She was also the Second Lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974, when Ford served as the 40th U.S. vice president. [111][112][113] Ford is also one of three former first ladies whose lives are the focus of the Emmy-nominated 2022 Showtime television series The First Lady, in which she is portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer. 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. Poor health and increasing frailty due to operations in August 2006 and April 2007 for blood clots in her legs caused her to largely curtail her public life. 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. [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. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. 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. Though I told myself I would just use once. Betty Ford was at his side. She got a job as assistant to the fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer's, a local department store. [5] Warren was an alcoholic and diabetic, and was in poor health. As our nation's first lady, she was a powerful advocate for women's health and women's rights. [19] In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions, writing, "I liked alcohol, it made me feel warm. [40] By late-1975, Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America's most popular first ladies. [3], Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975. Betty Ford. I think its time to bring abortion out of the backwoods and put it in the hospitals, where it belongs. Disregarding criticism to her stance, Ford would remark, Maybe I shouldnt have said it, but I couldnt lie. [76] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House. In fact, when Mrs . 12/26/2018 05:25 AM EST. [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. ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. Nor did she address her relationship with alcohol, which she, at the time, believed was typical consumption. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. [105] In terms of cumulative assessment, Ford has been ranked: The 2008 Siena Research Institute survey ranked Ford the 5th-highest of the twenty 20th and 21st century First Ladies. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing. [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. [53][51] Contrarily to her, while President Ford ranked in the top-10 positions of most admired men in multiple years,[56][57][58][59] he never managed to top it. She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. [3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. 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). [84] In 1991, Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush[3][97] She and President Ford jointly received a Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? [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. [3], In 2013, Ford was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She was 93. [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. Former first lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. 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. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. For years after leaving the White House, Ford continued to enjoy great influence and popularity, continuing to rank in the top-ten of Gallup's annual most admired woman poll every year through 1991. [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. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. [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. When they returned to Grand Rapids, she worked again at Herpolsheimer's, this time as the fashion coordinator. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush. The organization sought to bring together political spouses and female government federal employees to discuss current party activates and ideas about legislation. She accompanied her husband to congressional and White House events, as well as on some trips abroad, and made herself available to newspaper and magazine articles. Surveys of historians conducted by the Siena College Research Institute have shown that historians regard Ford to be among the best and most courageous American first ladies. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States when her husband, Gerald Ford, assumed the office following President Richard Nixon's resignation. She became famous for her candor. Her philanthropic support additionally placed a specific focus on charities serving children with special needs. Later that day, President Ford was caught momentarily patting Betty's buttocks before the press gathered outside of their Virginia residence. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. 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. This large number of state dinners was, in part, due to great interest from foreign dignitaries in visiting the United States for a state dinner amid the United States bicentennial celebrations. LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon stepped down following the Watergate scandal. 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. That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America. 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. 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