She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. 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. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage. [3], Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972. [3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. 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. Betty Ford wanted to be a professional dancer [7] Early into her time in the White House, during a televised tour of the White House she once again noted that she and her husband shared the same bed. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. I took that first hit and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. [4], In 1926, when she was eight years old, her mother, who valued social graces, enrolled her in the Calla Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids, where Ford was taught ballet, tap dancing, and modern movement. Ford's recent predecessor Lady Bird Johnson was among other first ladies that did not conduct solo trips abroad. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. "In the end, simply by being herself, she made it easier for millions of American women to be themselves," Smith told ABC News. 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. [68], As First Lady, Ford was an advocate of the arts. Throughout her post-Washington life, she established herself as one of the nation's first public advocates for women's self-examination, a prodigious fund-raiser for arthritis research, and, most important, a tireless campaigner for the rights and dignity of those afflicted with the disease of substance abuse. 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. 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 . 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. Since she passed, fans have wondered what Betty White's cause of death was and how she died three weeks before her 100th birthday. [37][33] In January 1976, the editors of the New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "one of the most charming and popular First Ladies ever to occupy the White House". [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. They married in 1948, two weeks before he was elected to his first term in Congress. [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. [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. Bush. Stay tuned to our website for additional information. [102] After the service, Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds. YouTube Betty White showing off her aquarium. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. Betty's two older brothers were Robert (d. 1971) and William Jr. After the family lived briefly in Denver, Colorado, she grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she graduated from Central High School. [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. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. 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. [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. Betty Ford saw her role in the White House as official hostess and a goodwill ambassador. "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] The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public. [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. [49], 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,[50][51][52] with the exception of Gallup having failed to conduct such a poll in 1976 (the final full year of her husband's presidency). [116] She also received that year's "Commitment to Life Award" from the Los Angeles AIDS Project. [14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death. [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. "[34] Ford was open about the benefits of psychiatric treatment, and spoke understandingly about marijuana use and premarital sex. [5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. At 8:49 p.m. local time, President Ford's wife of 58 years, Betty Ford, issued a statement that confirmed his death: "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather . [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. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. He was a Bristol, Tennessee, native who had a 40-year career as a music . [3], Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. This video contains excerpts from the second ha. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing. [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. [38] In January 1976, Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show. [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. [93] 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. This is my problem". "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. Betty was 93 years old at the time of death. [21] Ford became overwhelmed by the media attention she received and became somewhat reclusive for a period early into her time as second lady. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. Because the pills were prescribed by a physician, she did not believe that she had a . Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. [71] 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. Betty Ford Biography Betty Ford, the United States' first lady, was born on April 8, 1918. Betty Ford may be the most famous and least known First Lady in history. Thats the way I feel. During his testimony, Gerald Ford was questioned about attending psychiatric care. [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. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. A contrast was publicly drawn between Ford and Nancy Reagan, the wife of Ford's primary election challenger Ronald Reagan. [37] Ford ultimately played an important role in the 1976 election campaign. The Fords' unlikely rise to first family started in 1973, just as they were planning on retiring from Congress. [5] At the age of 14, she began modeling clothes and teaching children popular dances, such as the foxtrot, waltz, and big apple, to earn money in the wake of the Great Depression. By not being the "political wife" of self-sacrificing legend, she both reflected and advanced public views about women in politics. ", President George H.W. [3] It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. [7][38][37], In 1975, when Time named the "American women" as its "Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women". In this statement, Ford disclosed, "I have found I am not only addicted to the medication I have been taking for my arthritis but also to alcohol". [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. Betty Ford was 93 years old when she died; therefore, she can be said to have died from old age. [40], In 1985, Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards. The former, then in her 90s, sent the latter a letter in 2009, shortly after Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. She instead attended the Bennington School of Dance in Bennington, Vermont, for two summers, where she studied under director Martha Hill with choreographers Martha Graham and Hanya Holm. [98] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. [3], Ford campaigned actively both during primary elections and the general election. [3] Ford also held active membership in groups such as the 81st Congress Club and National Federation of Republican Women. 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. 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. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. Established in 1949 on lakeside acreage in Center City, Minnesota, the Hazelden Betty Ford . "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. Betty Ford "became known for her openness and candor" (Northouse, 2013) and remained true to herself, she did not change who she was, or her core values because of her new position as First Lady. "[67], Adding to heightened public awareness of breast cancer were reports that several weeks after Ford's cancer surgery, Happy Rockefeller, the wife of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, also had a mastectomy. LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. See full answer below. 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. 12/26/2018 05:25 AM EST. "[10], 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. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. [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. Since 1982 Siena College Research Institute has conducted occasional surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president. She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. During her stay at the White House, her dependency on these drugs seemingly dissipated. The series lovers highly anticipate the show and are peculiar to know about Betty Ford's first husband. [41], The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. A mutual friend, Peg Neuman, suggested to Gerald that he should ask her out, so he called her. July 8, 2011 Mrs. Betty Ford passes away at 93 years of age. They took away my tension and my pain". This prospect elated Ford. 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. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall. His wife, Betty, was the first lady during this time period. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. During the general election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve. Betty Ford, the former First Lady of the United States who died on July 8 aged 93, exemplified the American virtue of positive thinking to overcome illness and addiction, and used her . "And if they'd asked me that I would have told them," she said, adding that her response would be, "As often as possible. [7][34][37] However, polling would show that her comments were accepted by many Americans. As First Lady of the United States from 1974-1977, Betty Ford was known for her candor. [65] 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. As the First Lady . Former first lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. [61][33] Ford utilized phone calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA. [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. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. As a supporter of abortion rights and a leader in the women's rights movement, she gained fame as one of the most candid first ladies in history, commenting on the hot-button issues of the time, such as feminism, equal pay, the Equal Rights Amendment, sex, drugs, abortion, and gun control. This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tents on the South Lawn of the White House. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. 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. In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. [80] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. As we told you back in 2020, Betty rarely left her home once the COVID-19 pandemic began.. As a young girl, Betty took up dancing, which quickly became her passion. However, she abused these prescriptions, regularly taking many more pills than prescribed. 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. White's death was confirmed Friday by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. She died in her sleep, in her. Mrs. 9 min read. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. She received an award from Parsons The New School for Design in recognition of her style. The 2008 survey also ranked Ford the 5th-highest in their assessment of first ladies who were their own women as well as 5th-highest in courage. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She continued to serve as Chairman-Emeritus of the Betty Ford Center and enjoyed her role as grandmother and great-grandmother to her still-growing family. [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. [47] Kennerly has touted the image as both capturing Ford's personality and being a symbolic image showing the feminist first lady posing in what had conventionally been a room occupied predominantly by white men. "Early on, she went to the head usher and asked why the staff didn't return her good morning greetings," Smith told ABC News. Fellow first lady Nancy Reagan also was "deeply saddened" by the news. [110], Ford's life is the focus of the 1987 ABC biographical television film The Betty Ford Story, which has a story adapted from her memoir The Times of My Life. Married and divorced in her 20s, in 1947 her life changed forever when she met Gerald R. Ford. [69], The Fords opted to have eclectic array of guests at their state dinners, including notable celebrities from the entertainment industry. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. After her initial anger over the intrusion in her life, Betty remained. [12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. ", Tasha N. Dubriwny, "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient.". Become a member and. 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.". After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. By the time Betty Ford became first lady in August 1974the month her husband, Gerald Ford, succeeded Richard Nixon the former dancer had already been taking prescription pills for years to. That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America. She recalled that the first time she heard someone call her father an alcoholic was at his funeral. Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Bloomer Ford was the widow of former United States President Gerald R. Ford and served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. Since the 1960s, even before she was the first lady, Betty took prescription opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve and severe arthritic pain. [3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention. 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. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967. 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]. [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. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. As it turns out, Betty Ford did send a letter to Michelle Obama. [35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.". Ford reads her husband's 1976 presidential concession speech to the press. "Jerry did not want this," she wrote. I did not know at the time what was going on.

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