She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. [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. Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. [68], As First Lady, Ford was an advocate of the arts. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". [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. [40] By late-1975, Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America's most popular first ladies. Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, the third child and only daughter of Hortense (ne Neahr; 1884 1948) and William Stephenson Bloomer Sr. (1874 1934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co.[3] She was called Betty as a child. [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America. Since she passed, fans have wondered what Betty White's cause of death was and how she died three weeks before her 100th birthday. She wrote about it in her book, "A Glad Awakening." Watch the video to find out if Betty White died in her sleep.#BettyWhite #RIP #CelebNewsRead Full Article: https://www.nickiswift.com/722297/did-betty-white-. Betty Ford was 93 years old when she died; therefore, she can be said to have died from old age. "[66] Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. [99] In 2003, Ford was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award by the Woodrow Wilson Center of the Smithsonian Institution. [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. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation History. The LA County death . Ford also publicly expressed admiration and friendship toward First Lady Pat Nixon. 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. "[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). Betty Ford dies at 93; former first lady. [19] Ford also, unsuccessfully, lobbied her husband to appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court of the United States[7][33] or as a running mate in the 1976 election. [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. This large number of state dinners was, in part, due to great interest from foreign dignitaries in visiting the United States for a state dinner amid the United States bicentennial celebrations. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. [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 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. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. [3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention. [40], In 1985, Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards. [115] That same year, Ford received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by her husband, President Gerald Ford, an Academy Awards Council member. [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. Betty Ford. In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it. She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA. [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. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Ford to the second National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year (the first had been appointed by President Ford). 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 made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse. 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. [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. 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 American public ranked Ford as the eighth-greatest among these first ladies. . [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". She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. 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. Fellow first lady Nancy Reagan also was "deeply saddened" by the news. [19] In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions, writing, "I liked alcohol, it made me feel warm. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. [3][16] The speech was delivered on the day after the election. In a tribute, Mark Updegrove, Director of the LBJ Library, who wrote much about the Ford family, said: Betty Ford was a thoroughly modern first ladyand among the most progressive we've ever had in the White House. 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". The campaigns of the previous three presidents that sought election to an additional term (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon) had needed to manufacture campaign publicity involving their first ladies (Mamie Eisenhower, Lady Bird Johnson, and Pat Nixon). She was the wife of President Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. "[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. Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions, "when he wants me to. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". [3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults. But the main point was, it was best for the country.". [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. Betty Ford, who died yesterday at the age of ninety-three, got married the year she turned twenty-four, to a furniture salesman who did not become the President of the United States. [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . [80] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. She paused her divorce, and supported him, living at Warren's family's home for the next two years as his health recovered. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. [84], In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications. [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. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. [3], As she became a more active second lady, Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts. 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. [53], In Good Housekeeping's annual readers' poll of most admired women, Ford placed second in 1974[60] and first in 1975. She was working in a fashion job in Grand Rapids where Gerald lived. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. And I loved pills. [3][5][12] They married on October 15, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. The Fords' unlikely rise to first family started in 1973, just as they were planning on retiring from Congress. Betty Ford Birthday and Date of Death. For years after leaving the White House, Ford continued to enjoy great influence and popularity, continuing to rank in the top-ten of Gallup's annual most admired woman poll every year through 1991. "[69], Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][74] Columbia River salmon, souffl, and flamb. [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. [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. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. Betty Ford wanted to be a professional dancer [96], On November 18, 1991, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. [53] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names. [84] After they left the White House, her addictions became more evident to her family and appeared life-threatening. ", President George H.W. "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. . [53] In 1977, the year her husband left office, she placed fourth. 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. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House. Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. Betty Ford: Abortion is NOT a Partisan Issue - WCLA - Choice Matters Coming of age when Betty Ford and her husband found themselves accidental occupants of the White House, all I knew of Betty Ford was that she had big hair, and, subsequently, breast cancer and addiction issues. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. Betty Ford is awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George H. W. Bush, 1991. Among the revelations in the biography: 1. In addition, she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). White whose full . She studied dance under Martha Graham in New York, working as a fashion model to finance her studies. Ford did indirectly indicate her willingness to step into the role of first lady by affirming that she would make any sacrifices required for her husband to carry out his constitutional obligations, but also opined that it would be traumatic if the nation had to endure a president being forced from office. Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys. In his remarks at his inauguration, Gerald Ford remarked, "I am indebted to no man and only one woman, my dear wife, Betty, as I begin this very difficult job. [78] In June 1977, Ford was a speaker at the Arthritis Association Convention. [33], Ford was also unapologetically pro-abortion rights. White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table. [83] The fact that Ford had, for years, been given tranquilizers to treat a pinched nerve in her neck, was public knowledge as far back as her time as second lady. Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. The cause given for her death was "natural. [3] The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public. [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. [46][47] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady. CNN . [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], Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president on October 10, 1973. [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 errected 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. Ford, who died Friday at age 93, was not intimidated by the public spotlight, and used her position to passionately promote causes important to her. 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. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. Shortly after becoming president in 1974, Ford said, "I am indebted to no man and to only one woman, my dear wife.". Betty Ford began taking prescription pain killers in the 1960s for a pinched nerve. But, before . 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. She suffered from severe arthritic pain in her neck and muscle spasms. "First Ladies and the Cultural Everywoman Ideal: Gender Performance and Representation. ", This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 22:04. All the way there I was telling myself how it would not change anything. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. When they returned to Grand Rapids, she worked again at Herpolsheimer's, this time as the fashion coordinator. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. She recalled that the first time she heard someone call her father an alcoholic was at his funeral. 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. [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. After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. Betty Ford was a former First Lady of the United States (August 9th, 1974 - January 20th, 1977). [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. 'Not at all,' he replied. Because she suffered, there will be more healing. Betty developed a passion for dance at an early age. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. Ford succeeded in getting sober. Because the pills were prescribed by a physician, she did not believe that she had a . [41], The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. 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. Betty Ford was portrayed as an ideal patient within a success narrative that presented the key sequences of her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in a progressive, linear fashion that inspired optimism. The cause of Betty Ford's death was never disclosed. The Betty Ford Center, which already has helped change the lives of thousands of people, will be her lasting legacy of care and concern. [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. [22] Two days later, on October 12, 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to serve as vice president. 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, 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? [75], During the Fords' 1976 trip to mainland China, when being shown an exhibition by a Chinese arts college dance group, Ford decided to join the dancers. 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. [50] In 1974, Ford placed second in the poll. Ford reads her husband's 1976 presidential concession speech to the press. [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. Phyllis Schlafly accused Ford of acting improperly by intervening in state affairs. She supported the equal rights amendment and the legalization of abortion. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall. Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. Gerald and Betty Ford with Richard and Pat Nixon as the latter depart the White House in disgrace on August 9, 1974. During his testimony, Gerald Ford was questioned about attending psychiatric care. As the First Lady . Betty Ford was known as a vivacious activist for women's rights. [19], In 1977, the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. Betty Ford, the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, died at the age of 93. Can be said to have died from old age States presidential candidate 's spouse has delivered concession! 53 ] in 1977, Ford was a former first lady Pat.! 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