"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. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. (National Archives Identifier 187012) [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". [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. [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. "[3][13] For their honeymoon, the two briefly traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they attended a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Northwestern Wildcats, before driving to Owosso, Michigan, to attend a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee Thomas Dewey. [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Betty_Ford&oldid=1133654245, Dubriwny, Tasha N. "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient. [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. [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. 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. She briefly continued her studies with Graham in New York City until close family ties took her back to Grand Rapids in 1941. "Did they dislike her? A mutual friend, Peg Neuman, suggested to Gerald that he should ask her out, so he called her. Betty Ford was known as a vivacious activist for women's rights. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). 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. Gerald and Betty Ford with Richard and Pat Nixon as the latter depart the White House in disgrace on August 9, 1974. All the way there I was telling myself how it would not change anything. What many don't know is that she was also a talented modern dancer. Ford assisted in fundraising for the little-known Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, D.C., whose patients were predominantly African American. 'Not at all,' he replied. [84] When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin. [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. [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. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. In fact, when Mrs . [54] She placed first in 1975. Ford was observed audibly telling her husband "I love you" following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president. By not being the "political wife" of self-sacrificing legend, she both reflected and advanced public views about women in politics. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, died on this day in 2006. John Robert Greene. 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. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. We were proud to call her a friend.". [84], Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction. [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 a former First Lady of the United States (August 9th, 1974 - January 20th, 1977). 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. During her stay at the White House, her dependency on these drugs seemingly dissipated. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". "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. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. [106] In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys, Ford was similarly ranked the 5th-highest in historians' assessment of first ladies' courage. She wrote about it in her book, "A Glad Awakening." She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. TMZ was the first to report the news.. A cerebrovascular accident, commonly known as a stroke, is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain, which damages brain tissue. [20] Such talk was due to Gerald Ford, following the Republican Party's failure to win a majority in the 1972 United States House of Representatives elections, seeing it as unlikely that he would ever fulfill his ambition of becoming speaker of the House. 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. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. During his testimony, Gerald Ford was questioned about attending psychiatric care. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. [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. Thus, Michelle Obama did, in fact, receive a letter from Betty Ford soon after she moved into the White House. AP. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president. Reagan had contrasting views on issues such as drug experimentation by teenagers and the Equal Rights Amendment (which she opposed passing). In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. Betty had a history of taking opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve since the 1960s (which is also alluded to in episode 1 of 'The First Lady'). Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys. The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon's presidency. [3], In 2013, Ford was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. As it turns out, Betty Ford did send a letter to Michelle Obama. [42][43][44] Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994. 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. The November 12, 1974 state dinner for Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky saw the first instance in which a wine from the Fords' home state of Michigan was served at a White House state dinner, with wine from the Tabor Hill Winery being served. [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. Her philanthropic support additionally placed a specific focus on charities serving children with special needs. 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 . This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . [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. [35] In a 1975 interview with McCall's, Ford remarked that she was asked just about everything, except for how often she and the president had sex. One day in 1934, when she was 16, Betty came home and her father, a traveling salesman who had recently lost his job, had. [3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults. This is my problem". I did not know at the time what was going on. After graduating from high school in 1936 she attended the Bennington School of Dance in Vermont for two summers, where she met choreographer Martha Graham. Since the 1960s, even before she was the first lady, Betty took prescription opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve and severe arthritic pain. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. [3], The heavy campaigning placed a strain on Ford's health. 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. [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. Dance developed into a passion for her, and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. [94] The amendment did not receive enough states' ratification. . ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. [19], In 1977, the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California. She paused her divorce, and supported him, living at Warren's family's home for the next two years as his health recovered. I'm sure I've saved at least one personmaybe more. I took that first hit and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. 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. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. [12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois, and spent most of her childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. As First Lady of the United States from 1974-1977, Betty Ford was known for her candor. Betty Ford. [19] Ford also, unsuccessfully, lobbied her husband to appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court of the United States[7][33] or as a running mate in the 1976 election. [45] A Ford family friend said that he "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. After leaving the White House, Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers. [3] The campaign made a deliberate effort, ahead of the 1976 Republican National Convention, of sending Ford to liberal and moderate-leaning states and not more conservative states in the western and southern United States. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. 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. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. [3], Ford had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974. You may not think that creating a humane, healing environment for people with addiction is a remarkable concept. President Richard Nixon selected Gerald Ford to serve as his vice president after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. During her time in the White House, she also admitted to taking Valium. 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. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. [3][75] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. She served as the honorary president of the National Lupus Foundation, regarding lupus as a disease which impacted women, yet received minimal public attention. [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). Become a member and. Ford, who during her husband's 1974-77 administration had set a new standard for White House candor by speaking openly about her breast cancer and mastectomy, brought addiction out of the closet. [36], During her time as first lady, Ford was an outspoken advocate of women's rights and was a prominent force in the Women's Movement of the 1970s. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. 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. Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. [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. Betty Ford. Ford made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside. Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions, "when he wants me to. Throughout her husband's term in office, she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. The couple moved frequently because of his work. For more, click here: http://abcn.ws/BettyFordRIP She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. His wife, Betty, was the first lady during this time period. CNN . [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. At this point in her life, she was married to her first husband, businessman William Warren. [63], Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . Days later, Ford also disclosed to the public that she had come to realize that she was additionally an alcoholic. Take a look at images from Betty Ford's years in the White House. 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