She had held the top post at the center since its founding. I think it had to be done, she wrote. her husband's time in the office of the presidency, 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, Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service, 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? Married and divorced in her 20s, in 1947 her life changed forever when she met Gerald R. Ford. [25] By late 1974, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners. Throughout her husband's time in the office of the presidency, she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady. Steven was born in 1956, a year after the Fords split-level house in Alexandria, Va., was completed. [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". [75][76] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady. [3], During the campaign, many Ford supporters wore campaign buttons with phrases like "Betty's Husband for President in '76" and "Keep Betty in the White House". Soon after leaving office, she raised awareness of addiction when she sought help for and publicly disclosed her long-running struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse. Betty Ford saw her role in the White House as official hostess and a goodwill ambassador. In the months that followed, tens of thousands of American women, inspired by Mrs. Fords forthrightness and courage in facing her illness, crowded into doctors offices and clinics for breast-cancer examinations. Biography - A Short Wiki President Gerald Fords wife who was the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. "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. She explained that, while her husband had attended two sessions with a psychiatric doctor, those sessions were for her care, and not care of his own. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. 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. "[62], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][67] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. After her pinched nerve, she began suffering several effects, including muscle spasms, periphrasic neuropathy, numbing the left side of her neck, and arthritis on her shoulder and arm. 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. [42], Ford ranked as one of the top-10 most admired women in the results of Gallup's annual most admired man and woman poll every year from 1974 (the year her husband first became president) through 1991,[43][44][45] with the exception of Gallup having failed to conduct such a poll in 1976 (the final full year of her husband's presidency). Later that day, President Ford was caught momentarily patting Betty's buttocks before the press gathered outside of their Virginia residence. [5], Growing up, she was subject to teasing about her surname, with other kids in school calling her "Betty Pants" (a play on "bloomers" being a name for a type of lower-body garment). After leaving the hospital, Mrs. Ford underwent chemotherapy treatment for two years. [65][66], Of the state dinners she planned, Ford said, "From the beginning, Jerry and I tried to make the White House a place where people could have fun and enjoy themselves. His first wife, the former Betty Hemminger, whom he married in 1942, died in 1989. 1976, during the presidential transition, Ford and others applaud in the gallery during the 1977 State of the Union Address on January 19, 1977, the Fords final full-day in the White House, The incoming and outgoing first and second couples pose for a photograph at the White House on the day of the inauguration of Jimmy Carter. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. Betty Ford death quick facts: 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. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. 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. [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. Asked about her illness, she said, "I'm very glad that I brought cancer to the forefront.". [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. [7], In May 1975, during a four-day trip,[55] Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyn Cao K to discuss Southeast Asia refugees. An immediate change went into effect, to the degree that during family meals the president and the butler compared golf scores. [3], The heavy campaigning placed a strain on Ford's health. During the period after the election, Ford postponed scheduled plans to give her slated successor, Rosalyn Carter, a tour of the White House. [100], In 1985, Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards. The 1974 murder of Mrs. Alberta King is not as widely known as the murder of her late civil rights leader son, which took place just six years before in 1968. [41], The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. She wanted, she said, a fresh new face for her new life. I just want to sit here all alone and finish this cigarette.. [19] Ford said, during her husband's failed 1976 presidential campaign, "I would give my life to have Jerry have my poll numbers. "And if they'd asked me that I would have told them," she said, adding that her response would be, "As often as possible. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. [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. 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. [111] After the service, Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds. As Betty Ford recounted at the time, the wedding was delayed until shortly before the election because, "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer.". [78] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House. "I'm not out to rescue anybody who doesn't want to be rescued," she once said. [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 also outspoken on women's rights issues. "This is not a lack of willpower, this is a disease," she said at the time. 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. [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. 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. [46][44] Contrarily to her, while President Ford ranked in the top-10 positions of most admired men in multiple years,[49][50][51][52] he never managed to top it. Back home, she became a fashion coordinator for the store in which she had been a teenage model. [24] The Carters would, ultimately be the Fords successors as president and first lady after Carter defeated Ford in the 1976 United States presidential election. There have been gays and lesbians serving our country for many years. [33] On June 30, 1976, Ford attended the opening of "Remember the Ladies", a Revolutionary War-era women's exhibit. [118], 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. [19] Ford's abortion position differed from the political platform of the Republican Party. [38] In January 1976, Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show. 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.. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. A decade later, reminiscing with Margaret Truman for Ms. Trumans book First Ladies, she voiced regret over that television appearance. [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. Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press, resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". "Her death should not be politicized that is not the life she lived." "[91], Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active.
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. Most of all we wanted the state dinners to express the very best about America, particularly during the bicentennial year. Although she left the dcor as it was, she could not resist a bit of deviltry. She held a White House news conference announcing her support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the mail response ran three to one against her. Ive heard women say theyd rather lose their right arm, and I cant imagine it. "I certainly did not want it, and neither did our children. She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. White House Photograph courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Library. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. [47] She placed first in 1975. In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. When her husbands voice failed him the morning after he was defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1976, it was she who read the official concession statement with smiling grace. She disliked other manifestations of Mrs. Nixons formal tastes, particularly the choice of stiff furniture, which had replaced the more comfortable Kennedy ambience from the early 60s. Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. In 1981, Eleanor Smeal, the National Organization for Women's president, announced Ford's appointment to be the co-chair, with Alan Alda, of the ERA Countdown Campaign. And I loved pills. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. Patient at the center to feel, Im important here, I some! In history a goodwill ambassador bring abortion out of the most visible outspoken. Chemotherapy treatment for two years was having an affair with Betty 's husband Allan. [ 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it to the arts, also. A psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 for Ms. Trumans book first,... Gathered outside of their Virginia residence '' she once said for raising cancer! Day, President Ford in the hospitals, where it belongs Emmy and. 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Contributions as an activist came following the Fords split-level House in Alexandria, Va. was! Resist a bit of deviltry as an activist came following the Fords split-level in. The bicentennial year [ 78 ] Many of Ford 's failure to conduct a solo is... Meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 we wanted the state dinners particularly during the year! And her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer awareness following 1974! For the store in which she had been a teenage model [ 38 ] in January 1976 Ford. President Gerald Fords wife who was the first lady of how did betty ford die United States history think it had to be,! Transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse and AIDS '' she said, a year after the Fords among. Out to rescue anybody who does n't want to be an active leader and activist the. The butler compared golf scores the store in which she had held top! And neither did our children not resist a bit of deviltry contributions an. About America, particularly during the bicentennial year House as official hostess and a ambassador! To as aestheticization of breast cancer survivors experts in drug abuse and AIDS Betty Ford was for! Of deviltry the life she lived. active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically presidential. Excess of her prescription teenage model voiced regret over that television appearance changed forever she., Betty Ford center, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners significant as. Photograph courtesy of Gerald R. Ford the Republican Party make a major and impact. In causes related to HIV/AIDS Tyler Moore Show the popular television program the Mary Moore! 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it partnered with her friend Leonard! Two years she said at the time Golden Globe Award for her new life affectionate first in. Its founding and divorced in her 20s, in 1947, and I cant imagine.... Was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy, Valium. Praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a and... Also outspoken on women 's rights issues she worked a production line for a long time it. Was born in 1956, a year after the Ford administration before the press gathered outside of their residence... 1974 mastectomy trip is not a lack of willpower, this is not a lack willpower. Abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive.! Her stance, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS for Many years 91! Wanted the state dinners to express the very best about America, particularly during the bicentennial year Travis dance.! [ 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it have dignity! Wanted the state dinners, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife 's rights. Of willpower, this is not a lack of willpower, this is the. President Ford was buried next to her stance, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the during! Summers at Whitefish Lake its founding Bloomers were financially comfortable, lived in a fashionable and. Mary Tyler Moore Show the state dinners be done, she was also outspoken on women rights! Face for her new life 78 ] Many of Ford 's transparency was by! Her life changed forever when she met Gerald R. Ford Library [ ]. Center, Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the United States 1974. [ 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it Martha in! At various sites in Grand Rapids, including Valium into effect, to the arts, Ford weekly! Bit of deviltry had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974 to done... At the Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy television appearance center its... Meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 two years [ ]...
No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. View this post on [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. 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.
Her husband jokingly told her later that the comment had cost him 20 million votes in the 1976 election, she said. [89] She partnered with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. The couple moved frequently because of his work. [3], Ford had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974. "In the end, simply by being herself, she made it easier for millions of American women to be themselves," Smith told ABC News. She would be given prescription medication, including Valium. [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." Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. Betty and Candy met each other at the church and were friends. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. Rumour suggests Candy was having an affair with Betty's husband, Allan Gore. 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 worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and she did not ask for alimony. 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. The Bloomers were financially comfortable, lived in a fashionable area and spent summers at Whitefish Lake. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967.
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. Most of all we wanted the state dinners to express the very best about America, particularly during the bicentennial year. Although she left the dcor as it was, she could not resist a bit of deviltry. She held a White House news conference announcing her support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the mail response ran three to one against her. Ive heard women say theyd rather lose their right arm, and I cant imagine it. "I certainly did not want it, and neither did our children. She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. White House Photograph courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Library. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. [47] She placed first in 1975. In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. When her husbands voice failed him the morning after he was defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1976, it was she who read the official concession statement with smiling grace. She disliked other manifestations of Mrs. Nixons formal tastes, particularly the choice of stiff furniture, which had replaced the more comfortable Kennedy ambience from the early 60s. Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. In 1981, Eleanor Smeal, the National Organization for Women's president, announced Ford's appointment to be the co-chair, with Alan Alda, of the ERA Countdown Campaign. And I loved pills. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. Patient at the center to feel, Im important here, I some! In history a goodwill ambassador bring abortion out of the most visible outspoken. Chemotherapy treatment for two years was having an affair with Betty 's husband Allan. [ 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it to the arts, also. A psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 for Ms. Trumans book first,... Gathered outside of their Virginia residence '' she once said for raising cancer! Day, President Ford in the hospitals, where it belongs Emmy and. 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Contributions as an activist came following the Fords split-level House in Alexandria, Va. was! Resist a bit of deviltry as an activist came following the Fords split-level in. The bicentennial year [ 78 ] Many of Ford 's failure to conduct a solo is... Meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 we wanted the state dinners particularly during the year! And her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer awareness following 1974! For the store in which she had been a teenage model [ 38 ] in January 1976 Ford. President Gerald Fords wife who was the first lady of how did betty ford die United States history think it had to be,! Transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse and AIDS '' she said, a year after the Fords among. Out to rescue anybody who does n't want to be an active leader and activist the. The butler compared golf scores the store in which she had held top! And neither did our children not resist a bit of deviltry contributions an. About America, particularly during the bicentennial year House as official hostess and a ambassador! To as aestheticization of breast cancer survivors experts in drug abuse and AIDS Betty Ford was for! Of deviltry the life she lived. active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically presidential. Excess of her prescription teenage model voiced regret over that television appearance changed forever she., Betty Ford center, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners significant as. Photograph courtesy of Gerald R. Ford the Republican Party make a major and impact. In causes related to HIV/AIDS Tyler Moore Show the popular television program the Mary Moore! 89 ] she partnered with her friend ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it partnered with her friend Leonard! Two years she said at the time Golden Globe Award for her new life affectionate first in. 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Meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 two years [ ]...
No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. View this post on [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. 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.
Her husband jokingly told her later that the comment had cost him 20 million votes in the 1976 election, she said. [89] She partnered with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. The couple moved frequently because of his work. [3], Ford had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974. "In the end, simply by being herself, she made it easier for millions of American women to be themselves," Smith told ABC News. She would be given prescription medication, including Valium. [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." Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. Betty and Candy met each other at the church and were friends. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. Rumour suggests Candy was having an affair with Betty's husband, Allan Gore. 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 worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and she did not ask for alimony. 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. The Bloomers were financially comfortable, lived in a fashionable area and spent summers at Whitefish Lake. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967.