[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. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. At this point in her life, she was married to her first husband, businessman William Warren. [84] After they left the White House, her addictions became more evident to her family and appeared life-threatening. [3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive. 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. [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. . [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. Despite her advanced age and own frail physical condition, Ford traveled across the country and took part in the funeral events in California, Washington, D.C., and Michigan. Betty Ford (1918-2011) was the wife of Gerald Ford, who was the 38th president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. Throughout her husband's term in office, she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady. [99] In 2003, Ford was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award by the Woodrow Wilson Center of the Smithsonian Institution. [45][48], Ford was popular with the American public. I embrace it, not only for me, but all the many others who are here to participate." 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. In 2003, Ford produced another book, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. She was 93. Leadership: Theory and Practice. ", Tasha N. Dubriwny, "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient.". Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford all smoked cigarettes but were never photographed doing so. [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. In 2005, Ford relinquished her chair of the center's board of directors to her daughter Susan. [25][69] Once she became first lady, it fell to Ford to arrange this already-scheduled dinner. As it turns out, Betty Ford did send a letter to Michelle Obama. [3], Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972. When they returned to Grand Rapids, she worked again at Herpolsheimer's, this time as the fashion coordinator. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. [3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Courts ruling. "I'm not out to rescue anybody who doesn't want to be rescued," she once said. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. Her acceptance speech spoke hopefully of the prospect that attitudes towards HIV/AIDS would shift, being de-stigmatized as cancer and alcoholism had (in part due to her contribution). [7] Weeks later, when the Fords moved from their Virginia residence into the White House[3] their king size bed was photographed being moved into the White House, which prompted Betty to quip that they had been outed for breaking the tradition of first couples keeping separate bedrooms in the White House. 4 Mrs. Ford later reasoned, "I thought that there are women all over the country like me. It was just that they were accustomed to the more formal atmosphere prevailing under the Nixons. [3], Ford campaigned actively both during primary elections and the general election. Ford, a Republican who served in the White House from 1974 to 1977, was 93 when he passed away at . I got the stuff and got back to my place and did it. 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. Days later, Ford also disclosed to the public that she had come to realize that she was additionally an alcoholic. "[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 couple moved frequently because of his work. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. 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. The American public ranked Ford as the eighth-greatest among these first ladies. Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues. Betty Ford began taking prescription pain killers in the 1960s for a pinched nerve. [94] The amendment did not receive enough states' ratification. [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967. Because she suffered, there will be more healing. Gerald Ford: Gerald Ford was president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. Betty Ford wanted to be a professional dancer 9 min read. 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. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. [98] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. By her second birthday, however, she was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the city she always considered her home. In 1978, the Ford family staged an intervention, and forced Betty to confront her addition to alcohol and pain pills. Her father's tragic death. 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. During her time in the White House, she also admitted to taking Valium. Seated (lr): Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Ford; Standing (lr): Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, President Bill Clinton speaks with the Fords at the White House ceremony awarding the at a 1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the 1994 National Garden Gala, which was themed "A Tribune to America's First Ladies". 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". Betty White in her kitchen in Carmel, California. We were proud to know her. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. [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. [7], Ford supported numerous charities as first lady. "I certainly did not want it, and neither did our children. Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . "[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. She suffered from severe arthritic pain in her neck and muscle spasms. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. See full answer below. She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. [95], Ford tackled the stigmatized issue of HIV/AIDS during the HIV/AIDS crisis. [8], When Bloomer was 16, her father died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the family's garage while working under their car, despite the garage doors being open. White's death was confirmed Friday by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. LOS ANGELES (AP) Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, whether as a man-crazy TV hostess on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" or the loopy housemate on "The Golden Girls," has died. She died in her sleep, in her. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. [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. [103], Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. 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. She was never more blunt and open than in 1978 when she revealed to the world her struggle to recover from her addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. After leaving the White House, Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers. Fellow first lady Nancy Reagan also was "deeply saddened" by the news. This is my problem". Showtime's "The First Lady" flips the camera's focus to the women who brought about transformational change from the East Wing of the White House. President Obama noted how Betty Ford "distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. [69] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight. "[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. [84] When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin. I'm sure I've saved at least one personmaybe more. Article continues below advertisement. Betty Ford. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. "[29] She was regarded to be the most politically outspoken first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs.. "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. Though I told myself I would just use once. She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). [21] Ford became overwhelmed by the media attention she received and became somewhat reclusive for a period early into her time as second lady. Phyllis Schlafly accused Ford of acting improperly by intervening in state affairs. ", McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure. [42][43][44] Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . Betty Bloomer Warren dances in "Fantasy," 1945. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. In fact, when Mrs . Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions, "when he wants me to. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. Asked about her illness, she said, "I'm very glad that I brought cancer to the forefront.". [14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death. Established in 1949 on lakeside acreage in Center City, Minnesota, the Hazelden Betty Ford . Betty Ford Biography Betty Ford, the United States' first lady, was born on April 8, 1918. Betty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication (and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978). CNN . [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. [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. [3][5], Bloomer's mother was opposed to her pursuing a career in dance and insisted that she return home, and, as a compromise, they agreed that Bloomer would return home for six months and, if she still wanted to return to New York City at the end of that time, her mother would not protest further. 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. They took away my tension and my pain". Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press, resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon's presidency. We were proud to call her a friend.". The Los Angeles lair, as well as her home in Carmel, were known to have stuffed-animal rooms. During these two years, she lived upstairs while he was nursed downstairs[3] She worked jobs in order to support both herself and Warren. [107][108] In the 2014 Siena Research Institute survey, historians ranked Ford 3rd-highest among 20th and 21st century First Ladies in the greatness of post-White House service, 3rd-highest in advancement of women's issues, and 4th-highest in creating a lasting legacy. [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. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. [3], Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975. [80] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation History. ', "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. 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. 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.". Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. [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. [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. Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. Betty Ford, the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, died at the age of 93. 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]. [40], In 1985, Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards. 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 . [76] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House. The march was led by prominent feminist leaders, including Ford, Bella Abzug, Elizabeth Chittick, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. John Robert Greene. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage. A mutual friend, Peg Neuman, suggested to Gerald that he should ask her out, so he called her. She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. [67] The spike in women self-examining after Ford went public with the diagnosis led to an increase in reported cases of breast cancer, a phenomenon known as the "Betty Ford blip". [3][14][17] Gerald Ford had ambitions to rise to the rank of speaker of the house, and therefore maintained a busy travel schedule, regularly crisscrossing the United States to fundraise and campaign on behalf of other Republicans in hopes that they would, in turn, provide him with the support he'd eventually need to become speaker. At one point, they lived in Toledo, Ohio, where Elizabeth was employed at the department store Lasalle & Koch as a demonstrator, a job that entailed being a model and saleswoman. She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". [69], During their final year in the White House, the Fords hosted eleven state dinners. She received an award from Parsons The New School for Design in recognition of her style. [3] The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public. I did not know at the time what was going on. She had held the top post at the center since its founding. [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. [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. 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. 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. From a young age, she had a passion for dancing. [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. 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