She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. White House Photograph courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Library. [3][19] Ford also posed for newspaper publicity photographs and was a clothing model for charity fashion shows, after a Republican had urged her to do so since they felt that Democratic Party spouses had far outnumbered Republican spouses in such publicity-generating activity. Warters, T. Alissa. [119], 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. Your cross will be his work. [78] In her remarks, Mrs. Cheney noted that July 14 would have been Gerald Ford's 98th birthday. [82] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. 
She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. Dance developed into a passion for her, and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it. 
She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. [3], Ford campaigned actively both during primary elections and the general election. [80] In June 1977, Ford was a speaker at the Arthritis Association Convention. "[28] Ford ultimately became a popular and impactful first lady. In her spare time, she taught dance to underprivileged and disabled children. The groom was 35; the bride, 30. [24] The Carters would, ultimately be the Fords successors as president and first lady after Carter defeated Ford in the 1976 United States presidential election. It was easier to be sorry for me, to feel superior to me, and therefore to root for me, she said. [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. 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. Ford, the oldest surviving former U.S. president, died peacefully at 6:45 p.m. PT (9:45 p.m. [19][54] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision". Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Her cause of death was not immediately clear. [40] In 1977, the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most-influential American women. Elizabeth Anne Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago to William S. Bloomer and the former Hortense Neahr. [5] With her father's passing, her family lost its primary breadwinner, and her mother began working as a real estate agent to support the family. LR: Nancy Reagan, Ladybird Johnson , Hillary Clinton, Rosalyn Carter, Ford, Barbara Bush, The Fords post for a photograph with three other U.S. first couples (George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter) during at the 2000 White House Historical Association Dinner, Ford attends a National Press Club event in 2001, The Fords with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2003 at a celebration President Ford's 90th birthday, Ford and her husband at a June 2005 Gerald R. Ford Foundation dinner, Betty Ford with her husband and President George W. Bush on April 23, 2006, Ford leans over President Ford's coffin during memorial services for him held December 30, 2006 in the United States Capitol rotunda as part of the his state funeral, Ford being escorted by Army Major General Guy C. Swan III during a portion of the state funeral of her late husband, Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [110], In July 2018, a statue of Ford was unveiled outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush. Ford will be buried alongside her husband, the former president, at his library in Grand Rapids, Mich., she added. Although she left the dcor as it was, she could not resist a bit of deviltry. Afterwards, Ford stated she was impressed with the conduct of the refugees. Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year, placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children. She later thought that some of the resentment stemmed from the fact that she could no longer be perceived as a victim of cancer, drugs and drink. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". The march was led by prominent feminist leaders, including Ford, Bella Abzug, Elizabeth Chittick, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. I do not believe they should be asked to leave the military. [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. [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. [40] By late-1975, Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America's most popular first ladies. She was, in her own words, more of a hawk than her children on the war in Vietnam. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. Every time I went through, Mrs. Ford said, I used to put a cigarette between her fingers. Her mischievous side also surfaced after her husband complained that she was too thin. ET) Tuesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to a statement from his office. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. ", McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure. [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. Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. By Mark Peikert Published: Apr 21, 2022. However, Ford simply responded by giving the explanation that it was not something she had tried to hide, but, rather, something she had only not shared with the news media because none of them had broached the topic in their previous questions to her. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. "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. 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. In April 1974, she made her first official solo trip as second lady when she spent two-days visiting the states of Georgia and Tennessee to help in publicizing the "ARTRAIN", which was a traveling exhibit of art, visual displays, and performance pieces housed in six railway cars, and which was to travel through small towns across the southern United States. I'm sure I've saved at least one personmaybe more. [62], Among the most notable state dinners the Fords hosted was a July 7, 1976 state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. [3], Ford was also used, both by Ford supporters and detractors, as a symbol of liberal Republicanism, with her politics contrasting with the Republican Party's conservative and moderate wings. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. Her philanthropic support additionally placed a specific focus on charities serving children with special needs. 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. The couple moved frequently because of his work. [86], Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction. Of course, the show dramatizes the incident a little and has Betty Fords character initially look a little put off by the living situation in the center. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. 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. She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. It was not until 2016 that a Michigan wine would again be served at a White House state dinner. Unknown to Carter at the time, this was likely due to Fords fragility caused by her prescription drug abuse. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Bloomer disliked the surname. 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). Ive heard women say theyd rather lose their right arm, and I cant imagine it. [21] During her time as first lady, there had even been some speculation about substance abuse by friends and members of the press who observed occasional slurred speech from Ford. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. Betty Ford. [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. [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 couple also acquired a second home, an elaborate ski lodge in Vail, Colo. Mrs. Ford remained active in the Betty Ford Center and in feminist causes. [3] Ford also broke from the administration in giving her support to the prospect of federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. Her dependency on pills began in 1964 with a medical prescription to relieve constant pain from a neck injury and a pinched nerve. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. 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. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. She further taught ballroom dancing lessons for children with visual impairment and hearing loss and gave weekly dance lessons to African American children. There haven't been any more problems than there have been in situations like Tailhook with heterosexuals. Take a look at images from Betty Ford's years in the White House. On July 8, 2011, Betty died of natural causes at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Betty was 93 years old at the time of death. Shortly after they married, he began to sell insurance for another company. In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it. [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". [108] On May 8, 2003, Ford received the Woodrow Wilson Award in Los Angeles for her public service, awarded by the Woodrow Wilson Center of the Smithsonian Institution. [8][63] 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. I think it had to be done, she wrote. By 1952, when John, known as Jack, was born, they had moved to an apartment in suburban Northern Virginia. They spent their two-day honeymoon at Republican Party rallies. JAKE TAPPER, KATIE HINMAN and MARTHA RADDATZ, founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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