I am an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time, she wrote in the prologue to her first autobiography. [3] Ford also broke from the administration in giving her support to the prospect of federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed. [46], In Good Housekeeping's annual readers' poll of most admired women, Ford placed second in 1974[53] and first in 1975. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. [3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription. But Id stopped being an underdog; Id gotten myself in hand.. [74] A Ford family friend said that President Ford "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. [25][26] The dinner was held in the John Quincy Adam's Drawing Room, one of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the United States Department of State headquarters at the Harry S Truman Building. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work. First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, 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). 
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. She held a White House news conference announcing her support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the mail response ran three to one against her. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. [54] 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. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. 
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. She was unsuccessful, however, in urging him to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. 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. [19] Ford said, during her husband's failed 1976 presidential campaign, "I would give my life to have Jerry have my poll numbers. I embrace it, not only for me, but all the many others who are here to participate." [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. Because of her leadership, many lives were saved.". Rumour suggests Candy was having an affair with Betty's husband, Allan Gore. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. [86], 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,[78] and Nancy Reagan. 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. She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. She began dancing lessons when she was 8, and for two summers after graduation from high school she attended Bennington School of the Dance at Bennington College in Vermont. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". [3], The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981. She was 93. 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 93, a family friend said late Friday. But unlike many other wives of presidents, Mrs. Ford rarely hesitated to make public her views on touchy subjects. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys. Many celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Mary Tyler Moore, Mickey Mantle and Darryl Strawberry, spent time there. [60] 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". [16], The Fords lived in Washington, D.C. after his election, until the spring of 1955, when the Fords moved into a house they constructed in the D.C. suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. Reagan had contrasting views on issues such as drug experimentation by teenagers and the Equal Rights Amendment (which she opposed passing). Some women protested Ford's lobbying for the ERA by carrying placards outside of the White House reading "Betty Ford, Get Off the Phone". Anyone can read what you share. Mrs. Ford was once asked if she felt sorry for herself during the trauma of losing her breast. 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. In her spare time, she taught dance to underprivileged and disabled children. [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. [25], Ford dancing with comedian Marty Allen in the Entrance Hall of the White House of the White House during a September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford reviews the table settings while preparing for the September 21, 1976 state dinner in honor of Liberian President William Tolbert, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs give the media a tour of the tent erected in the South Lawn for the July 1976 state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, Ford and Social Secretary Maria Downs inspect centerpiece sculptures designed by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell ahead of an October 1975 state dinner honoring Anwar Sadat, the president of Egypt, The Fords escort Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kjun down the Cross Hall towards the East Room during an October 1975 state dinner honoring the Japanese royals, Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips. [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. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. [110], On July 14, a second service was held at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, with eulogies given by Lynne Cheney, former Ford Museum director Richard Norton Smith, and Ford's son Steven. 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. His first wife, the former Betty Hemminger, whom he married in 1942, died in 1989. Bloomer disliked the surname. "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. [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). [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. [107] In 2000, the Lasker Foundation awarded Ford its annual Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award. [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. [14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death. [22] Two days later, on October 12, 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to serve as vice president. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. [3] It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide. She also traveled to Iowa before its caucus, and delivered a speech on behalf of the president (who had been unable to make his planned appearance) in which she labeled herself as being his political partner. Betty Ford will be remembered for her support of ERA and her frank admission about being hooked on tranquilizers and alcohol. No! Her parties usually lasted past midnight as she danced from one partner to another. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. Hes a very shy man and he really didnt tell me he loved me, she wrote. Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [33] Ford took personal credit for the appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. During the period after the election, Ford postponed scheduled plans to give her slated successor, Rosalyn Carter, a tour of the White House. [106] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. She was also involved in her husband's political career by fulfilling the commitments expected of congressional spouses to help elevate her husband's regard among his House colleagues. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. 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. Betty and Candy met each other at the church and were friends. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. ', "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", "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 12 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", "When first ladies meet: An awkward post-election White House tradition", "Mrs. Carter Looks Over School, Then Goes on White House Tour", "LOOK: Proof Betty Ford Was A Total Badass", "The story behind an iconic Betty Ford photo", "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", "Betty Ford and the Equal Rights Amendment: The ERA Countdown Campaign", "Former first lady Betty Ford says she is disappointed", "Betty Ford's death marks the passing of a lost generation of moderate Republican women", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Heroes of the Presidential Medal of Freedom", "Fords receive congressional gold medal October 27, 1999", "Palm Springs Walk of Stars: By Date Dedicated", "Awareness, education, and treatment for substance abuse", "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", "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum The National Women's Party honored Betty Ford as", "The original documents are located in Box 29, folder "Awards Presented to Betty Ford" of the Betty Ford White House Papers, 19731977 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library", "Ford Museum - Artifact Collections - Head of State Gifts Artifacts - medal from the Arab Republic of Egypt", "The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "1976/03/29 Parsons Award, New York City" of the Frances K. Pullen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library", "Betty Ford Awards and Honors Received", Ashley, Jeffrey S. "The Social and Political Influence of Betty Ford: Betty Bloomer Blossoms", Borrelli, Maryanne. On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon stepped down following the Watergate scandal. In November 1977, Ford and First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined together to advocate for its ratification at the National Women's Conference in Houston. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. [35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.". We came to Washington for 2 years and stayed for 28, Mrs. Ford said. Mr. Ford had been vice president for less than 10 months, named by Nixon to succeed Spiro T. Agnew, who had resigned in disgrace over accusations of bribery and tax evasion. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. ", President George W. Bush said he and his wife Laura "admired her as a first lady and valued her as a friend. [46] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names. 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. Dance developed into a passion for her, and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. [56], Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. A decade later, reminiscing with Margaret Truman for Ms. Trumans book First Ladies, she voiced regret over that television appearance. [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon (who was facing the prospect of impeachment and potential removal from office), Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. She asked why the staff never returned a greeting and was told that President Nixon and the first lady, Pat Nixon, had preferred them to be as silent and invisible as possible. And when Mrs. Ford returned from her mastectomy, the staff lined up with signs reading, We love you, Betty.. "First Ladies and the Cultural Everywoman Ideal: Gender Performance and Representation. [110], In July 2018, a statue of Ford was unveiled outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. ", Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective. Ford surprised the media and the public by explicitly supporting a woman's right to an abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and grass roots activism. Shortly after they married, he began to sell insurance for another company. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and she did not ask for alimony. [19] In 1993, Ford was quoted as speaking against existing bans gays from serving in the military, remarking, .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Constitutionally all citizens have the right to serve their country as long as they abide by the rules and regulations of military service. The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. [62], During their final year in the White House, the Fords hosted eleven state dinners. I was no different once I became first lady than I had been before. The American public ranked Ford as the eighth-greatest among these first ladies. Her mother remarried, to family friend and neighbor Arthur Meigs Godwin, and Bloomer lived with them. [24] On May 31, 1973, Ford made her first major speech when she gave a commencement address to the graduates of the Westminster Choir College. "[7], Betty and Gerald Ford had four children together: Michael Gerald Ford (born 1950), John Gardner Ford (nicknamed Jack; born 1952), Steven Meigs Ford (born 1956), and Susan Elizabeth Ford (born 1957). Mother remarried, to family friend and neighbor Arthur Meigs Godwin, and bloomer lived with.!, in urging him to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court the same work also declared, i! Rapids and did not return to New York embrace it, not only for,. Fords would ultimately be married for the appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development years! Their final year in the middle of his campaign for the appointment Carla... 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