Ford succeeded in getting sober. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. Fellow first lady Nancy Reagan also was "deeply saddened" by the news. Shortly after they married, he began to sell insurance for another company. . The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. [3] It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide. 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. The series is all set to release on the OTT platform on the 9th of May. [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. She also was completely unpretentious. This prospect elated Ford. "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. Take a look at images from Betty Ford's years in the White House. (National Archives Identifier 187012) Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. [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. Emergency responders, including police, showed up at her home Friday morning as a standard procedure. Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication (and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978). [114], In 1975, when Time named "American women" as its "Time Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women". "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. [7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model. Though I told myself I would just use once. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall. Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, died on this day in 2006. The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. Because of her leadership, many lives were saved.". In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. AP. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president. Much of this progress began in the 1970s through the voice and advocacy of Betty Ford. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. 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. [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. Betty was 93 years old at the time of death. 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. [3], Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president on October 10, 1973. As was the case during Gerald Ford's vice presidential swearing-in, Betty Ford held the bible upon which he placed his hand while taking his oath of office. Among the revelations in the biography: 1. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998. Betty's two older brothers were Robert (d. 1971) and . This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tents on the South Lawn of the White House. Betty Ford saw her role in the White House as official hostess and a goodwill ambassador. "[23], The media "broke" the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced, initially reporting it as a secret revelation. A mutual friend, Peg Neuman, suggested to Gerald that he should ask her out, so he called her. [27], In June 1974, Ford represented the Nixon administration by attending the funeral of Alberta Williams King, the assassinated mother of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Other Nixon administration official figures did not attend, continuing with other obligations. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. [8][70] She found out of this upcoming dinner and her responsibility for planning it through a phone call she received within 24-hours after her husband's swearing-in as president. [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. [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. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. [84], Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking in favor of same-sex marriage and against discrimination in the United States military. "Did they dislike her? Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. "In the end, simply by being herself, she made it easier for millions of American women to be themselves," Smith told ABC News. All the way there I was telling myself how it would not change anything. [24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. [3][19] Ford's health problems and the stress of her husband's career (which saw him frequently away from their household) compounded, particularly after her husband's career became even more demanding after he became House minority leader in January 1965. [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. The LA County death . 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]. 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. 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. LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. Betty Bloomer Warren dances in "Fantasy," 1945. [3], The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. Mrs. [3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Courts ruling. 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. He died of a heart attack just four years after leaving office. [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. [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). Her mother's actions in the wake of her father's passing are said to have been formative for her views in support of equal pay and gender equality. They took away my tension and my pain". After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. [90] She was an active member of the Junior League. "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. The march was led by prominent feminist leaders, including Ford, Bella Abzug, Elizabeth Chittick, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. The cause given for her death was "natural. 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. ", McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure. Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. She worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. 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. "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. [98] That same year, she and President Ford were given a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. If she could help women win full equal rights with men under the U.S. Constitution, Betty Ford wanted to give it her all. "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. That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America. First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. 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 . [111][112][113] Ford is also one of three former first ladies whose lives are the focus of the Emmy-nominated 2022 Showtime television series The First Lady, in which she is portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer. You see, Betty (played on The First Lady by Michelle Pfeiffer and Kristine Froseth) was married to William before she wed former President Gerald Ford (Aaron Eckhart). Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. Betty Ford was 93 years old when she died; therefore, she can be said to have died from old age. [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. 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. She further taught ballroom dancing lessons for children with visual impairment and hearing loss and gave weekly dance lessons to African American children. Penn State World Campus (2013). During the general election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing. Since the 1960s, even before she was the first lady, Betty took prescription opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve and severe arthritic pain. [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. "Ford. Betty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. [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. [117], Second Lady of the United States (19731974), First Lady of the United States (19741977), Ranking in Gallup's annual poll of "Most Admired Women", Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction, Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 31, 2006). [15], Barbara Bush, a later first lady, opined that Ford, after discovering she was dependent on drugs, "transformed her pain into something great for the common good. [19][61] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision". [3], On March 12, 1974, the Fords hosted a state dinner for King Hussein of Jordan after president Nixon, with a week's notice, asked Vice President Ford to take over for him in hosting the already-scheduled state dinner. Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois, and spent most of her childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. A contrast was publicly drawn between Ford and Nancy Reagan, the wife of Ford's primary election challenger Ronald Reagan. Betty Ford. [53], In Good Housekeeping's annual readers' poll of most admired women, Ford placed second in 1974[60] and first in 1975. [3][24] Ford was the only individual in attendance at the funeral not directly ingrained in the civil rights movement, with the exception of Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. She had held the top post at the center since its founding. As a young girl, Betty took up dancing, which quickly became her passion. At the time Betty Ford, the wife of former President Gerald Ford, was one of the most admired women in the United States. Betty Ford passed away in June 2011 at the age of 93. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. As the First Lady . She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She also co-authored with Chris Chase a book about her treatment, Betty: A Glad Awakening (1987). She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. The cause of Betty Ford's death was never disclosed. [94] The amendment did not receive enough states' ratification. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. "[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. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Betty Ford Birthday and Date of Death. In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," she talked about marijuana, equal rights for women, abortion and the possibility of a premarital affair for her daughter, Susan. [68], As First Lady, Ford was an advocate of the arts. Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States when her husband, Gerald Ford, assumed the office following President Richard Nixon's resignation. [3], As she became a more active second lady, Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts. [33], Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as "a product and symbol of the cultural and political timesdoing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mamaa housewife who argued passionately for equal rights for women, a mother of four who mused about drugs, abortion and premarital sex aloud and without regret. The Washington Post reported that Ford's disclosure of alcoholism came as a surprise to a number of Ford's close friends, who had regarded her as merely a social drinker and were oblivious to her drinking problem. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. Betty Ford was at his side. We were proud to know her. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. "[66] Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about. I took that first hit and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. 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]. Bloomer disliked the surname. However, she abused these prescriptions, regularly taking many more pills than prescribed. Neither was shy about their mutual love and equal respect, and they were known to have a strong personal and political partnership. [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". [79] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. July 8, 2011 -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. Ford reads her husband's 1976 presidential concession speech to the press. ", Gregory Knight, Myra. [21], Both Betty and Gerald Ford refuse to comment on speculation that President Nixon might be forced out of office due to the Watergate scandal. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. [3][21] Her candor on this trip received a positive reception by the news media..[21] Among those she met on the two-day trip was Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. "[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. On August 9, 1974, Betty Bloomer Ford was thrust onto the world stage when her . [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. [32] On September 4, 1974, weeks after becoming first lady, Ford conducted press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in which she remarked that she, "would like to be remembered in a very kind way; also as a constructive wife of a president. July 8, 2011 — -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. 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