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Betty Ford

May 05, 2023

Elizabeth Anne Ford (née 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. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president.

Betty Ford
Official portrait, 1974
First Lady of the United States
In role
August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977
PresidentGerald Ford
Preceded byPat Nixon
Succeeded byRosalynn Carter
Second Lady of the United States
In role
December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974
Vice PresidentGerald Ford
Preceded byJudy Agnew
Succeeded byHappy Rockefeller
1st Chairwoman of the Betty Ford Center
In office
October 4, 1982 – January 25, 2005[1]
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySusan Ford Bales
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Anne Bloomer

(1918-04-08)April 8, 1918
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJuly 8, 2011(2011-07-08) (aged 93)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Resting placeGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
William Warren
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​
(m. 1942; div. 1947)​
​
​
(m. 1948; died 2006)​
Children
Signature

Throughout her husband's time in the office of the presidency, she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. In addition, she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). As a supporter of abortion rights and a leader in the women's rights movement, she gained fame as one of the most candid first ladies in history, commenting on the hot-button issues of the time, such as feminism, equal pay, the Equal Rights Amendment, sex, drugs, abortion, and gun control. 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.

Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. 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. After recovering, she founded and served as the first chair of the board of directors of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. 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.

Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co-recipient with President Ford in 1998.

Early life and career

 
Betty Bloomer at age 18, 1936

Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, the third child and only daughter of Hortense (née 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.

Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. Betty's two older brothers were Robert (d. 1971) and William Jr. After the family lived briefly in Denver, Colorado, she grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she graduated from Central High School.[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. Dance developed into a passion for her, and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it.[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. She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935.[3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults.[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). Bloomer disliked the surname.[7]

When Ford herself began the process of recovering from her own alcoholism, she disclosed to the public that both her father and her brother Bob had suffered from alcoholism as well.[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.[9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday.[3] It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide.[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. 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.[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. 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. After being accepted by Graham as a student in 1940, Bloomer moved to New York to live in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood; she worked as a fashion model for the John Robert Powers firm in order to finance her dance studies. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City.[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. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. Her mother remarried, to family friend and neighbor Arthur Meigs Godwin, and Bloomer lived with them. She got a job as assistant to the fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer's, a local department store. She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids, including the Calla Travis Dance Studio. She further taught ballroom dancing lessons for children with visual impairment and hearing loss and gave weekly dance lessons to African American children.[3][5]

Marriage to William G. Warren

In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12.[5] At the time they married, Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales. Shortly after they married, he began to sell insurance for another company. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. The couple moved frequently because of his work. 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 worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. When they returned to Grand Rapids, she worked again at Herpolsheimer's, this time as the fashion coordinator.[11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage.[5] Warren was an alcoholic and diabetic, and was in poor health. Shortly after she decided to file for divorce, Warren fell into a coma. She paused her divorce, and supported him, living at Warren's family's home for the next two years as his health recovered. During these two years, she lived upstairs while he was nursed downstairs[3] She worked jobs in order to support both herself and Warren. This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford's understanding of gender-based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work.[5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947.[3][5]

Marriage to Gerald Ford and motherhood

 
Betty and Gerald Ford on their wedding day, 1948
 
Betty and Gerald Ford join Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie Eisenhower at a Grand Rapids, Michigan, event for Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1952 presidential campaign.

In August 1947, she was introduced by mutual friends to Gerald Ford, a lawyer and World War II veteran who had just resumed his legal practice after returning from Navy service, and was planning to run for the United States House of Representatives.[3][5][12] They married on October 15, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. In the first of adjustments for politics, he had asked her to delay the wedding until shortly before the primary election because, as The New York Times reported, "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer."[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.[14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death.[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. Your cross will be his work."[7]

 
The Fords with their children in 1959
 
Ford (third from left) and her family in the Oval Office of the White House in 1974

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).[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.[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. This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year, placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children.[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.[18]

Ford served as a parent-teacher association member, Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, and a Cub Scout "den mother". She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. 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. She accompanied her husband to congressional and White House events, as well as on some trips abroad, and made herself available to newspaper and magazine articles.[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.[3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive.[3] Ford also held active membership in groups such as the 81st Congress Club and National Federation of Republican Women.[3]

Ford's busy life took a toll. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. 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 would be given prescription medication, including Valium. Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication (and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978).[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. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. This led her to seek psychiatric assistance. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967.[3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle.[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. Nor did she address her relationship with alcohol, which she, at the time, believed was typical consumption.[3]

Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972.[21] That same year, her husband brought up the possibility that he might retire from congress in 1977, which would make the 1974 United States House of Representatives election the last he would run in. This prospect elated Ford.[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]

Second Lady of the United States (1973–1974)

 
The Fords pose with President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon on October 13, 1973, the day after President Nixon nominated Ford to be appointed as his new vice president.
 
The Frankie Welch-designed dress that Ford wore to her husband's swearing-in as vice president

Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president on October 10, 1973.[22] Two days later, on October 12, 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to serve as vice president.[12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. During his testimony, Gerald Ford was questioned about attending psychiatric care. After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. 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.[3] Gerald Ford was confirmed as vice president by the United States Congress on December 6, 1973, and Gerald Ford took the oath of office before a joint session of the United States Congress, placing his hand upon a bible which Betty Ford held.[3][12] With her husband assuming the office of vice president, Ford became the second lady of the United States.[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. The organization sought to bring together political spouses and female government federal employees to discuss current party activates and ideas about legislation. Ford also, in a television interview with Barbara Walters, expressed her support for the United States Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision ruling abortion as constitutionally protected.[3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling. I think it’s 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 shouldn’t have said it, but I couldn’t lie. That’s the way I feel."[23]

The media "broke" the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced, initially reporting it as a secret revelation. 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. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media.[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.[21] Ford became overwhelmed by the media attention she received and became somewhat reclusive for a period early into her time as second lady.[24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active.[21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure.[3]

As she became a more active second lady, Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts. 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. Ford was the most prominent national supporter of the project.[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.[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.[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. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing.[21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady.[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.[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.[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.[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.[24] Ford's attendance at the funeral was, in actuality, a break from the administration. Ford had believed it to be of great importance for the administration to show an expression of direct concern pertaining to the assassination, while Nixon's staff disagreed with her.[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 had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974. Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues.[24] With her husband, as vice president, tasked with heavily campaigning on behalf of his party for the 1974 midterm elections, Ford occasionally hit the campaign trail herself. Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions, "when he wants me to."[21][24] The Fords had planned to make a diplomatic trip to European nations after the midterm elections.[21]

Both Betty and Gerald Ford refused to comment on speculation that President Nixon might be forced out of office due to the Watergate scandal. 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 also publicly expressed admiration and friendship toward First Lady Pat Nixon.[3]

First Lady of the United States (1974–1977)

 
Vice President Gerald Ford is sworn in as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger in the East Room at the White House as Betty Ford looks on.

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. 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 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."[3]

Public image, influence, and candor

 
Betty and Gerald Ford riding in the presidential limousine in 1974

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."[28] Ford ultimately became a popular and impactful first lady. In the opinion of The New York Times and several presidential historians, "Mrs. Ford's impact on American culture may be far wider and more lasting than that of her husband, who served a mere 896 days, much of it spent trying to restore the dignity of the office of the president."[29] She was regarded to be the most politically outspoken first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt.[7][30] Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model.[31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse.[32]

Repeatedly speaking out on women's issues, Ford was a leader in the changing status of women in American society. 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. Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. However, not everything Ford did as first lady broke tradition. 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.[33]

Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as "a product and symbol of the cultural and political times—doing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mama—a 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."[34] Ford was open about the benefits of psychiatric treatment, and spoke understandingly about marijuana use and premarital sex.[35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.".[36] As first lady, remarking on her honest candor and the sometimes-controversial remarks it resulted in, Ford declared, "I am not very good at making up stories." In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. This is my problem".[7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor.[3]

 
Ford sits in the White House Solarium with Morley Safer before filming her August 1975 60 Minutes interview with him.

Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975.[3] The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public.[3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention.[7] Due to conservative backlash from Ford's comments on premarital sex, marijuana use, and abortion in a 1975 60 Minutes interview, President Ford initially quipped to her that her comments had lost him a large number of votes.[7][34][37] However, polling would show that her comments were accepted by many Americans.[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". That same year, People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America.[40] In 1977, the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most-influential American women.[38] In January 1976, Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show.[41]

 
Ford in November 1975, sitting at the Hay–Adams Hotel with television producer Ed Weinberger and actress Mary Tyler Moore during the filming of Ford's cameo appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. Neither was shy about their mutual love and equal respect, and they were known to have a strong personal and political partnership.[15] This open affection was evident from the beginning of Gerald Ford's presidency. Ford was observed audibly telling her husband "I love you" following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president. Later that day, President Ford was caught momentarily patting Betty's buttocks before the press gathered outside of their Virginia residence.[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.[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. "And if they'd asked me that I would have told them," she said, adding that her response would be, "As often as possible."[10]

Popularity

Ford was popular with the American public. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%.[34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's.[19] Ford said, during her husband's failed 1976 presidential campaign, "I would give my life to have Jerry have my poll numbers."[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married.[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).[46] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names.[43] In 1974, Ford placed second in the poll.[47] She placed first in 1975.[46] In 1977, the year her husband left office, she placed fourth.[48] 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.[46][44] Contrarily to her, while President Ford ranked in the top-10 positions of most admired men in multiple years,[49][50][51][52] he never managed to top it.[46]

In Good Housekeeping's annual readers' poll of most admired women, Ford placed second in 1974[53] and first in 1975.[40] By late-1975, Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America's most popular first ladies.[37][33] In January 1976, the editors of the New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "one of the most charming and popular First Ladies ever to occupy the White House".[36]

Ranking in Gallup's annual poll of "Most Admired Women"

[43][44][45][47][46][48]
Year Rank Year Rank Year Rank
1974 2nd 1980 3rd 1986 8th
1975 1st 1981 5th 1987 7th
1976 no poll conducted 1982 8th 1988 5th
1977 4th 1983 4th 1989 7th
1978 1st 1984 6th 1990 8th
1979 5th (tied with Jaclyn Smith) 1985 7th 1991 10th
Approval polling
Segment polled Polling group Date Approve Disapprove Sample size Margin-of-error Source
National poll Roper Center 1976 71% 24% [42]
National poll Roper Center 1975 50% 36% [42]

Social policy and political activism

 
A sign being displayed in Portland, Maine, in August 1975 expressing support for Ford's stance on various women's issues

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.[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.[32] On September 4, 1974, weeks after becoming first lady, Ford conducted a 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."[19]

 
A handmade flag given to Betty Ford that demonstrates her support for the Equal Rights Amendment

Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it.[19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment.[54][33] Ford utilized phone calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA.[33]

Ford was also unapologetically pro-abortion rights.[19][54] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision".[19] Ford's abortion position differed from the political platform of the Republican Party.[19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. In December 1999, he told interviewer Larry King that he, too, was pro-abortion rights and had been criticized for that stance by conservative forces within the Republican Party.[54]

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.[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.[33] Ford took personal credit for the appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development.[7]

In May 1975, during a four-day trip,[55] Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyễn Cao Kỳ to discuss Southeast Asia refugees. Afterwards, Ford stated she was impressed with the conduct of the refugees.[56]

Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. Phyllis Schlafly accused Ford of acting improperly by intervening in state affairs. Some women protested Ford's lobbying for the ERA by carrying placards outside of the White House reading "Betty Ford, Get Off the Phone".[33] On June 30, 1976, Ford attended the opening of "Remember the Ladies", a Revolutionary War-era women's exhibit. 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."[57]

Health and breast cancer awareness

 
President Ford sits at Betty's bedside at Bethesda Naval Hospital on October 2, 1974 as she recovers from her mastectomy
 
Betty Ford hosts actress Rosalind Russell at the White House on May 11, 1976. Russell was suffering from breast cancer, and would die 6 months later.
 
Ford viewing the Queen's Sitting Room during a Tour of the White House, 1977

Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease.[58] Ford decided to be open about her illness because "There had been so much cover-up during Watergate that we wanted to be sure there would be no cover-up in the Ford administration."[59] Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about.

"When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. "But the fact that I was the wife of the President put it in headlines and brought before the public this particular experience I was going through. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. I'm sure I've saved at least one person—maybe more."[60]

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.[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".[59]

According to Tasha N. Dubriwny, the massive media coverage of Ford's mastectomy was constrained by stereotypical gender roles, particularly the need for breast cancer patients to maintain their femininity. 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. Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors.[61]

The arts

As First Lady, Ford was an advocate of the arts. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. She received an award from Parsons The New School for Design in recognition of her style.[3]

State dinners

See also: List of state dinners in the United States
 
Betty and Gerald Ford with King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan at the first state dinner of Gerald Ford's presidency on August 16, 1974
 
Betty and Gerald with French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and his wife Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing at a May 17, 1976, state dinner in their honor
 
The Fords host Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the President's Dining Room during a 1976 state visit.

Despite the brevity of her husband's presidency (roughly two and a half years), he hosted 33 state dinners, the fifth most state dinners of any United States president.[25] The first of these came only a week into Ford's presidency, hosting King Hussein of Jordan on August 16, 1974.[25][62] Once she became first lady, it fell to Ford to arrange this already-scheduled dinner.[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.[64] As previously mentioned, the Fords had hosted a state dinner for King Hussein months earlier, during Gerald Ford's vice presidency, on March 12, 1974, after president Nixon asked then-Vice President Ford to take over for him in hosting a planned dinner for the King.[25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon's presidency.[62] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight.[62]

The Fords opted to have eclectic array of guests at their state dinners, including notable celebrities from the entertainment industry. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted.[62]

During their final year in the White House, the Fords hosted eleven state dinners. 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 made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside. For state dinners held using this tent, the receptions, entertainment, and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House.[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. This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tent on the South Lawn of the White House.[65][66]

Of the state dinners she planned, Ford said, "From the beginning, Jerry and I tried to make the White House a place where people could have fun and enjoy themselves. Most of all we wanted the state dinners to express the very best about America, particularly during the bicentennial year."[62]

Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice,[25][67] Columbia River salmon, soufflé, and flambé. The state dinners that Ford planned as first lady made a deliberate effort to showcase American ingredients.[25] By late 1974, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners. The November 12, 1974 state dinner for Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky saw the first instance in which a wine from the Fords' home state of Michigan was served at a White House state dinner, with wine from the Tabor Hill Winery being served. It was not until 2016 that a Michigan wine would again be served at a White House state dinner.[25]

Diplomatic trips

 
Ford joining dance students at the May 7th College of Art in Beijing, China (December 3, 1975)

Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia.[3]

Ford did not take any solo trips aboad as first lady.[3][68] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. Ford's recent predecessor Lady Bird Johnson was among other first ladies that did not conduct solo trips abroad.[68]

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. Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press, resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press.[7]

Philanthropic causes

Ford supported numerous charities as first lady. Ford assisted in fundraising for the little-known Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, D.C., whose patients were predominantly African American. She also fundraised for No Greater Love, in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs. She served as the honorary president of the National Lupus Foundation, regarding lupus as a disease which impacted women, yet received minimal public attention. Her philanthropic support additionally placed a specific focus on charities serving children with special needs.[3]

Role in the 1976 presidential campaign

See also: 1976 United States presidential election

In November 1975, it was reported by the Associated Press that Ford's husband's advisors, who had previously worried her outspoken comments would hurt him in the 1976 presidential election, were now recognizing her popularity and desiring for her to have a greater role in the campaign.[37] Ford ultimately played an important role in the 1976 election campaign. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States.[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.[3]

During the campaign, many Ford supporters wore campaign buttons with phrases like "Betty's Husband for President in '76" and "Keep Betty in the White House".[19] The use of Ford in such a manner to promote her husband's candidacy was not the work of the campaign itself, but rather, produced by supporters outside of the campaign organization. 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). In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign.[3]

Ford campaigned actively both during primary elections and the general election. A contrast was publicly drawn between Ford and Nancy Reagan, the wife of Ford's primary election challenger Ronald Reagan. Reagan had contrasting views on issues such as drug experimentation by teenagers and the Equal Rights Amendment (which she opposed passing).[3] Many of Ford’s views were aligned-with, or even more liberal than, Rosalyn Carter, the wife of Ford’s Democratic general election opponent Jimmy Carter.[3]

During the primaries, Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the campaign that were broadcast in New Hampshire. 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.[3] The campaign made a deliberate effort, ahead of the 1976 Republican National Convention, of sending Ford to liberal and moderate-leaning states and not more conservative states in the western and southern United States.[3]

Between Labor Day and election day, for the general election campaign, Ford conducted multi-stop speaking tours, during which she visited western states (including California, Colorado, Texas, and Utah) as well was northern midwest states including Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.[3]

The heavy campaigning placed a strain on Ford's health. During the general election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule.[3]

After Gerald Ford's defeat by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election, she delivered her husband's concession speech because he had lost his voice while campaigning.[3][16] The speech was delivered on the day after the election. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf.[3]

After her husband's narrow defeat, there was some anecdotal speculation that Ford may have both have helped to alienate conservative Republicans from voting for her husband and at the same time helped attract him support from liberal and moderate Republicans, Democrats, and independents.[3]

  •  

    Campaign button in support of President Ford's 1976 presidential campaign with the phrase "Keep Betty in the White House"

  •  

    Betty and Gerald Ford onstage at the 1976 Republican National Convention

  •  

    Ford reads her husband's 1976 presidential concession speech to the press.

Departure from the White House

See also: Presidential transition of Jimmy Carter
 
Photograph of Ford dancing on the table of the Cabinet Room

During the period after the election, Ford postponed scheduled plans to give her slated successor, Rosalyn Carter, a tour of the White House. Unknown to Carter at the time, this was likely due to Ford’s fragility caused by her prescription drug abuse. When Ford attempted to postpone the plans a second time, President-elect Carter called the White House and threatened to make a fuss in the news if the tour was not held as planned. Ford capitulated and gave a brief, but cordial, tour of the White House to Rosalyn Carter on November 22, 1976, coinciding with President-elect Carter’s White House meeting with President Ford.[69][70]

On January 19, 1977, her last full day as first lady, Betty Ford used her training as a Martha Graham dancer to jump up on the Cabinet Room table. White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table.[71][72][73] Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994.[74] A Ford family friend said that President Ford "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time.[75][76] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady.[76] 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 been a space occupied predominantly by white men.[74][77]

Post–White House life and career

After leaving the White House in 1977, Ford continued to lead an active public life. 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.[78] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House.[19]

In 1977, the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California.[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,[79] and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs.[80] In June 1977, Ford was a speaker at the Arthritis Association Convention.[81] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker.[82] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas.[83][84]

Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction

Ford had suffered from a dependency on prescription medication and from alcoholism prior even to her husband's presidency.[19] Ford had, particularly, become addicted to prescription medication (opioid analgesics) that she had been originally prescribed in the early 1960s to treat a pinched nerve.[3][19] Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription.[19] In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions, writing, "I liked alcohol, it made me feel warm. And I loved pills. They took away my tension and my pain".[85] 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.[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.[86] After they left the White House, her addictions became more evident to her family and appeared life-threatening. 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. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. Ford succeeded in getting sober.[3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978.[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. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. Days later, Ford also disclosed to the public that she had come to realize that she was additionally an alcoholic. She disclosed her alcoholism through a statement that a family spokesman read on her behalf at a press conference (at which Ford was not herself present) held outside of the hospital. 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". In this statement, she also praised the reputation of the hospital's addiction treatment program, and declared her pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the treatment. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. I embrace it, not only for me, but all the many others who are here to participate." 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.[86]

Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction.[19]

During a January 1984 address in Michigan to a crowd of individuals who were in the early stages of alcohol and drug dependency treatment, Ford declared that the six years since she began her treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, "have been the best years in my life from the standpoint of feeling healthier and feeling more comfortable with myself".[87]

The Betty Ford Center

Main article: Betty Ford Center
 
Photograph of Ford standing outside of the Betty Ford Center

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,[88] including treating the children of alcoholics.[89] She partnered with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it.[90] She served as chair of the board of directors. She also co-authored with Chris Chase a book about her treatment, Betty: A Glad Awakening (1987). In 2003, Ford produced another book, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. In 2005, Ford relinquished her chair of the center's board of directors to her daughter Susan. She had held the top post at the center since its founding.[15]

[90]

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. Because she suffered, there will be more healing. Because of her grief, there will be more joy."[91]

Women's movement

Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA. 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). That same year, she joined First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Rosalynn Carter to open and participate in the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas, where she endorsed measures in the convention's National Plan of Action, a report sent to the state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, and the President on how to improve the status of American women.[92] Ford continued to be an outspoken supporter of equal pay for women, breast cancer awareness, and the ERA throughout her life.[93] She was an active member of the Junior League.[94]

 
Ford (center) together at the 1977 National Women's Conference with First Lady Rosalynn Carter (left) and fellow former first lady Lady Bird Johnson (right)

Ford continued to advocate for the ratification of the ERA. In November 1977, Ford and First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined together to advocate for its ratification at the National Women's Conference in Houston.[95] In 1978, the deadline for ratification of the ERA was extended from 1979 to 1982, resulting largely from a march of a hundred thousand people on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. The march was led by prominent feminist leaders, including Ford, Bella Abzug, Elizabeth Chittick, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. In 1981, Eleanor Smeal, the National Organization for Women's president, announced Ford's appointment to be the co-chair, with Alan Alda, of the ERA Countdown Campaign.[96] In November 1981, Ford stated that Governor of Illinois James R. Thompson had not done enough in support of the ERA as well as her disappointment with First Lady Nancy Reagan not being in favor of the measure, though also relayed her hopes to change the incumbent First Lady's mind in further encounters with her.[97] 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. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing.[98] On October 12, 1981, Ford spoke in support of the ERA on a rally held at the National Mall.[95] The amendment did not receive enough states' ratification. In 2004, Ford reaffirmed her pro-abortion rights stance and her support for the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, as well as her belief in and support for the ratification of the ERA.[99]

Other matters

Ford tackled the stigmatized issue of HIV/AIDS during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. She involved herself in the Los Angeles AIDS Project. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". 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). When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention, Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin.[86][100]

Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking against discrimination in the United States military.[19] In 1993, Ford was quoted as speaking against existing bans gays from serving in the military, remarking,

Constitutionally all citizens have the right to serve their country as long as they abide by the rules and regulations of military service. There have been gays and lesbians serving our country for many years. There haven't been any more problems than there have been in situations like Tailhook with heterosexuals. I do not believe they should be asked to leave the military.[100]

In 1985, Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards.[101] That same year, Ford received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. This was formally presented to her by President Ford, who was an Academy Awards Council member.[102]

In 1987, Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications.[103]

In the early 1990s, Ford voiced admiration for First Lady Hillary Clinton and praised her for taking an active role in policy within her husband's administration by leading the Clinton health care plan[100]

In 1987, Ford was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.[104] On November 18, 1991, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush.[3][105] In 1999, she and President Ford were jointly awarded Congressional Gold Medals.[106] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband.[107] In 2000, the Lasker Foundation awarded Ford its annual Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award.[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.[3]

During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado.[3] President Ford died, aged 93, of heart failure on December 26, 2006, at their Rancho Mirage home. 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.[3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. Poor health and increasing frailty due to operations in August 2006 and April 2007 for blood clots in her legs caused her to largely curtail her public life. Ill health prevented Ford from attending the funeral of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson's in July 2007, and her daughter Susan Ford Bales instead represented her at the funeral service.[3]

Death and funeral

 
Burial site of Betty and Gerald Ford

Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.[16][109] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center.[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.[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. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush.[78] In her remarks, Mrs. Cheney noted that July 14 would have been Gerald Ford's 98th birthday.[111] After the service, Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds.[110]

In July 2018, a statue of Ford was unveiled outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[112]

Historical assessments

According to John Robert Greene:

Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. 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. Her role as a public health advocate distinguishes her as one of the most influential women of the latter part of the twentieth century.[113]

Since 1982 Siena College Research Institute has conducted occasional surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background, value to the country, intelligence, courage, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, and value to the president. Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys.[114] In terms of cumulative assessment, Ford has been ranked:

  • 6th-best of 42 in 1982[114]
  • 9th-best of 37 in 1993[114]
  • 8th-best of 38 in 2003[114]
  • 7th-best of 38 in 2008[114]
  • 6th-best of 39 in 2014[114]

The 2008 Siena Research Institute survey ranked Ford the 5th-highest of the twenty 20th and 21st century First Ladies. 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.[115] In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys, Ford was similarly ranked the 5th-highest in historians' assessment of first ladies' courage.[116][117] 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.[114] In the 2014 Siena Research Institute survey survey, Ford and her husband were ranked the 19th-highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being a "power couple".[118]

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. The American public ranked Ford as the eighth-greatest among these first ladies.[119]

Cultural depictions

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. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford.[120][121][122] 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 Kristine Froseth and Michelle Pfeiffer.[123]

Awards and honors

 
The National Woman's Party presents Ford with a plaque honoring her as its inaugural “Alice Paul Award” in the White House’s Map Room on January 11, 1977 (the 92nd birthday of Alice Paul)[124]

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".[40]

Other honors and awards include:

Things and places named for Ford

Books authored

  • Ford, Betty; Chase, Chris (1978). The Times of My Life. New York City, New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-06-011298-1.
  • Ford, Betty; Chase, Chris (1987). Betty, a Glad Awakening. Garden City, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-23502-0.
  • Ford, Betty; Betty Ford Center (2003). Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. New York City, New York: Putnam (Penguin Group). ISBN 978-0-399-15138-5.

See also

Citations

  1. ^ "Susan Ford - C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org.
  2. ^ "Wedding". Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020. Gerald R. Ford, Jr., and Betty Bloomer Warren at their wedding rehearsal dinner..
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk . National First Ladies' Library. n.d. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Ford, Betty; Chase, Chris (1978). The Times of My Life. p. 22.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Betty Ford". Biography.com. April 2, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  6. ^ . Business 2 Community. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Betty Ford". Newspapers.com. Des Moines Tribune. The New York Times. January 9, 1976. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  8. ^ a b . www.firstladies.org. National First Ladies' Library. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  9. ^ Ford, Betty; Chase, Chris (1978). The Times of My Life. p. 21.
  10. ^ a b Tucker, Neely (December 29, 2006). "Betty Ford, Again Putting On a Brave Face". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  11. ^ Ford, Betty; Chase, Chris (1978). The Times of My Life. pp. 39, 41.
  12. ^ a b c d "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Howard, Jane (December 8, 1974). "The 38th First Lady: not a robot at all". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Gerald R. Ford Timeline". geraldrfordfoundation.org. Gerald R. Ford Foundation. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Video documentary (May 16, 2009). Betty Ford—The Real Deal (requires Adobe Flash; 57 minutes). PBS NewsHour (via Public Broadcasting Service). Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c Nemy, Enid (July 9, 2011). "Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  17. ^ "The Watergate Story". The Washington Post.
  18. ^ Ashley, Jeffrey S. (2003). Betty Ford: A Symbol of Strength. Nova Publishers. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-59033-407-2.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Fling, Sarah (November 5, 2019). "Betty Ford: Activist First Lady". www.whitehousehistory.org. White House Historical Association. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Betty's life changed dramatically once she became..." fordlibrarymuseum.tumblr.com. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i Marks, Dorothy (May 14, 1974). "Friends Asking: 'Is There A New Betty Ford?'". Newspapers.com. Rocky Mount Telegram. Women's New Service. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  22. ^ Kreitner, Richard (October 10, 2015). "October 10, 1973: Vice President Spiro Agnew Resigns". The Nation. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Piker, Mark (April 21, 2022). "How Betty Ford Made History Inside The White House and Beyond". Town & Country. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Radcliffe, Donnie (July 24, 1974). "Betty Ford: unaffected, but not a 'plain country girl'". Newspapers.com. The Rock Island Argus. Los Angeles Times-Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g Hickey, C. K. (February 16, 2019). "All the Presidents' Meals". Foreign Policy. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Hussein Assured on U.S. Peace Efforts". The New York Times. March 13, 1974. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  27. ^ "March 13, 1974 – Vice President and King Hussein of Jordan" (PDF). www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  28. ^ *Anthony, Carl Sferrazza (1991). First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power; 1961–1990 (Volume II). New York City: William Morrow and Company. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-688-10562-4.
  29. ^ "Betty Ford's Legacy Wide and Lasting", National Journal, July 9, 2011
  30. ^ Nichols, John (July 9, 2011). "Betty Ford: Feminist, Social Liberal, Republican". The Nation. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  31. ^ "First Lady job tailored by the lady". The Orlando Sentinel. The Associated Press. January 31, 1993. Retrieved November 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ a b . Time. March 3, 1975. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g Tobin, Leesa E. (1990). "Betty Ford as First Lady: A Woman for Women". Presidential Studies Quarterly. 20 (4): 761–767. ISSN 0360-4918. JSTOR 20700159. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  34. ^ a b c d Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 31, 2006). ""Back in View, a First Lady With Her Own Legacy", The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  35. ^ a b . Miller Center of Public Affairs. n.d. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  36. ^ a b c "Betty's popularity rises because of her big mouth". Newspapers.com. The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois). New York News Service. January 6, 1976. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  37. ^ a b c d "Presidents Advisors Urging Bigger Role for Betty Ford". Newspapers.com. Manitowoc Herald-Times. The Associated Press. November 11, 1975. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  38. ^ a b "Digitized from Box 39 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library" (PDF). www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Ford Library Museum. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  39. ^ a b "Person of the Year: A Photo History – TIME". Time. December 16, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  40. ^ a b c Tucker, Neely (December 29, 2006). "Betty Ford, again putting on a brave face". NBC News. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  41. ^ "The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Watch Betty Ford's Memorable Cameo". tvseriesfinale.com. July 11, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  42. ^ a b c "Then and Now: First Ladies | Roper Center for Public Opinion Research". ropercenter.cornell.edu. Roper Center (Cornell University). Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  43. ^ a b c Gallup, George Jr. (January 2, 1985). "Thatcher America's 'most admired woman'". Newspapers.com. The Tampa Tribune. Los Angeles Times Syndicate. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  44. ^ a b c "Most Admired Men and Women: 1948–1998". news.gallup.com. Gallup. December 13, 1999. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  45. ^ a b Multiple sources:
    • Gallup, George (January 23, 1980). "Gallup/Rosalynn Carter Most Admired". Newspapers.com. Newsday (Suffolk Edition) (Melville, New York). Retrieved May 13, 2022.
    • Gallup, George (December 24, 1981). "Nancy Reagan, Thatcher honored". Newspapers.com. Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
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Further reading

  • Ashley, Jeffrey S. "The Social and Political Influence of Betty Ford: Betty Bloomer Blossoms" White House Studies 1.1 (2001): 101–109.
  • Borrelli, Maryanne. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview." Presidential Studies Quarterly 31.3 (2001): 397–414.
  • Brower, Kate Andersen. First women: The grace and power of America's modern First Ladies (HarperCollins, 2017).
  • Dubriwny, Tasha N. "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient." Journal of Communication Inquiry 33.2 (2009): 104–125.
  • Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective." Presidential Studies Quarterly 15.3 (1985): 532–540.
  • Greene, John Robert. "Ford, Betty" American National Biography (2013). (subscription required)
  • Greene, John Robert. Betty Ford: Candor and Courage in the White House (2004).
  • Gregory Knight, Myra. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer." American Journalism 17.1 (2000): 53–71.
  • Hummer, Jill Abraham. "First Ladies and the Cultural Everywoman Ideal: Gender Performance and Representation." White House Studies 9.4 (2009) pp. 403–422. Compares Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, and Barbara Bush.
  • McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure." Journal of Historical Biography 13 (2013): 93–122, includes Margaret Mann, Lillian Roth, and Betty Ford.
  • Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women." Presidential Studies Quarterly 20.4 (1990): 761–767.
  • Troy, Gil. Mr. and Mrs. President: From the Trumans to the Clintons (2d rev. ed., 2000).
  • Warters, T. Alissa. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. A Companion to Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter (2015) pp 181–95.
  • Watson, Robert P. The Presidents' Wives: The Office of the First Lady in US Politics (2nd ed. 2014).

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betty Ford.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Betty Ford.
Honorary titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Judy Agnew 		Second Lady of the United States
1973–1974 		Vacant
Title next held by
Happy Rockefeller
Preceded by First Lady of the United States
1974–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
First
 Chairwoman of Betty Ford Center
1982–2005 		Succeeded by

May 05, 2023
betty, ford, elizabeth, anne, ford, née, bloomer, formerly, warren, april, 1918, july, 2011, first, lady, united, states, from, 1974, 1977, wife, president, gerald, ford, first, lady, active, social, policy, precedent, politically, active, presidential, spouse. Elizabeth Anne Ford nee 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 As first lady she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president Betty FordOfficial portrait 1974First Lady of the United StatesIn role August 9 1974 January 20 1977PresidentGerald FordPreceded byPat NixonSucceeded byRosalynn CarterSecond Lady of the United StatesIn role December 6 1973 August 9 1974Vice PresidentGerald FordPreceded byJudy AgnewSucceeded byHappy Rockefeller1st Chairwoman of the Betty Ford CenterIn office October 4 1982 January 25 2005 1 Preceded byPosition establishedSucceeded bySusan Ford BalesPersonal detailsBornElizabeth Anne Bloomer 1918 04 08 April 8 1918Chicago Illinois U S DiedJuly 8 2011 2011 07 08 aged 93 Rancho Mirage California U S Resting placeGerald R Ford Presidential MuseumPolitical partyRepublicanSpousesWilliam Warren m 1942 div 1947 wbr Gerald Ford m 1948 died 2006 wbr ChildrenMichaelJackStevenSusanSignatureThroughout her husband s time in the office of the presidency she maintained high approval ratings and was considered to be an influential first lady Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy In addition she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment ERA As a supporter of abortion rights and a leader in the women s rights movement she gained fame as one of the most candid first ladies in history commenting on the hot button issues of the time such as feminism equal pay the Equal Rights Amendment sex drugs abortion and gun control 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 Following her White House years she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement 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 After recovering she founded and served as the first chair of the board of directors of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV AIDS 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 Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H W Bush in 1991 She was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as a co recipient with President Ford in 1998 Contents 1 Early life and career 1 1 Marriage to William G Warren 1 2 Marriage to Gerald Ford and motherhood 2 Second Lady of the United States 1973 1974 3 First Lady of the United States 1974 1977 3 1 Public image influence and candor 3 1 1 Popularity 3 1 2 Ranking in Gallup s annual poll of Most Admired Women 3 1 2 1 Approval polling 3 2 Social policy and political activism 3 3 Health and breast cancer awareness 3 4 The arts 3 5 State dinners 3 6 Diplomatic trips 3 7 Philanthropic causes 3 8 Role in the 1976 presidential campaign 3 9 Departure from the White House 4 Post White House life and career 4 1 Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction 4 2 The Betty Ford Center 4 3 Women s movement 4 4 Other matters 5 Death and funeral 6 Historical assessments 7 Cultural depictions 8 Awards and honors 8 1 Things and places named for Ford 9 Books authored 10 See also 11 Citations 12 Further reading 13 External linksEarly life and career Edit Betty Bloomer at age 18 1936 Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago Illinois the third child and only daughter of Hortense nee 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 Hortense and William married on November 9 1904 in Chicago Betty s two older brothers were Robert d 1971 and William Jr After the family lived briefly in Denver Colorado she grew up in Grand Rapids Michigan where she graduated from Central High School 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 Dance developed into a passion for her and she decided she wanted to seek a career in it 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 She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio graduating in 1935 3 5 6 While she was still in high school she started her own dance school instructing both youth and adults 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 Bloomer disliked the surname 7 When Ford herself began the process of recovering from her own alcoholism she disclosed to the public that both her father and her brother Bob had suffered from alcoholism as well 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 9 10 He died the day before his 60th birthday 3 It was never confirmed whether his death had been accidental or a suicide 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 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 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 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 After being accepted by Graham as a student in 1940 Bloomer moved to New York to live in Manhattan s Chelsea neighborhood she worked as a fashion model for the John Robert Powers firm in order to finance her dance studies She joined Graham s auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City 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 Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York Her mother remarried to family friend and neighbor Arthur Meigs Godwin and Bloomer lived with them She got a job as assistant to the fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer s a local department store She also organized her own dance group and taught dance at various sites in Grand Rapids including the Calla Travis Dance Studio She further taught ballroom dancing lessons for children with visual impairment and hearing loss and gave weekly dance lessons to African American children 3 5 Marriage to William G Warren Edit In 1942 Elizabeth Bloomer married William G Warren 5 4 whom she had known since she was 12 5 At the time they married Warren worked for his own father in insurance sales Shortly after they married he began to sell insurance for another company He later worked for the Continental Can Company and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company The couple moved frequently because of his work At one point they lived in Toledo Ohio where Elizabeth was employed at the department store Lasalle amp Koch as a demonstrator a job that entailed being a model and saleswoman She worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton New York When they returned to Grand Rapids she worked again at Herpolsheimer s this time as the fashion coordinator 11 She had three years into the marriage concluded that their relationship was a failure She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage 5 Warren was an alcoholic and diabetic and was in poor health Shortly after she decided to file for divorce Warren fell into a coma She paused her divorce and supported him living at Warren s family s home for the next two years as his health recovered During these two years she lived upstairs while he was nursed downstairs 3 She worked jobs in order to support both herself and Warren This experience has been credited with further cementing Ford s understanding of gender based income inequalities between individuals doing the same work 5 After he recovered they were divorced on September 22 1947 3 5 Marriage to Gerald Ford and motherhood Edit Betty and Gerald Ford on their wedding day 1948 Betty and Gerald Ford join Dwight D Eisenhower and his wife Mamie Eisenhower at a Grand Rapids Michigan event for Dwight D Eisenhower s 1952 presidential campaign In August 1947 she was introduced by mutual friends to Gerald Ford a lawyer and World War II veteran who had just resumed his legal practice after returning from Navy service and was planning to run for the United States House of Representatives 3 5 12 They married on October 15 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U S House of Representatives In the first of adjustments for politics he had asked her to delay the wedding until shortly before the primary election because as The New York Times reported Jerry was running for Congress and wasn t sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex dancer 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 14 The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years until Gerald Ford s death 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 Your cross will be his work 7 The Fords with their children in 1959 Ford third from left and her family in the Oval Office of the White House in 1974 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 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 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 This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children 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 18 Ford served as a parent teacher association member Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Church on the Hill and a Cub Scout den mother She regularly drove her children around to their activities such as her sons Little League Baseball games and her daughter s dance classes 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 She accompanied her husband to congressional and White House events as well as on some trips abroad and made herself available to newspaper and magazine articles 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 3 Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive 3 Ford also held active membership in groups such as the 81st Congress Club and National Federation of Republican Women 3 Ford s busy life took a toll In 1964 a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford s neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks 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 would be given prescription medication including Valium Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978 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 In 1965 Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others This led her to seek psychiatric assistance Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967 3 Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle 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 Nor did she address her relationship with alcohol which she at the time believed was typical consumption 3 Ford accompanied her husband on a trip to mainland China in 1972 21 That same year her husband brought up the possibility that he might retire from congress in 1977 which would make the 1974 United States House of Representatives election the last he would run in This prospect elated Ford 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 Second Lady of the United States 1973 1974 Edit The Fords pose with President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon on October 13 1973 the day after President Nixon nominated Ford to be appointed as his new vice president The Frankie Welch designed dress that Ford wore to her husband s swearing in as vice president Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president on October 10 1973 22 Two days later on October 12 1973 President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to serve as vice president 12 Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband s testimony at his confirmation hearings During his testimony Gerald Ford was questioned about attending psychiatric care After this Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care 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 3 Gerald Ford was confirmed as vice president by the United States Congress on December 6 1973 and Gerald Ford took the oath of office before a joint session of the United States Congress placing his hand upon a bible which Betty Ford held 3 12 With her husband assuming the office of vice president Ford became the second lady of the United States 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 The organization sought to bring together political spouses and female government federal employees to discuss current party activates and ideas about legislation Ford also in a television interview with Barbara Walters expressed her support for the United States Supreme Court s Roe v Wade decision ruling abortion as constitutionally protected 3 Ford remarked I agree with the Supreme Court s ruling I think it s 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 shouldn t have said it but I couldn t lie That s the way I feel 23 The media broke the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced initially reporting it as a secret revelation 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 This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering up her past and earned her some admiration in the media 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 21 Ford became overwhelmed by the media attention she received and became somewhat reclusive for a period early into her time as second lady 24 However by the spring of 1974 Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady becoming less reclusive and more active 21 Ford would ultimately for most of the nine months she was second lady be a high profile public figure 3 As she became a more active second lady Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts 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 Ford was the most prominent national supporter of the project 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 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 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 This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe adding designer clothing 21 In addition to the arts Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady 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 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 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 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 24 Ford s attendance at the funeral was in actuality a break from the administration Ford had believed it to be of great importance for the administration to show an expression of direct concern pertaining to the assassination while Nixon s staff disagreed with her 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 had an extremely busy schedule by July 1974 Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues 24 With her husband as vice president tasked with heavily campaigning on behalf of his party for the 1974 midterm elections Ford occasionally hit the campaign trail herself Ford had declared that she would be accompanying her husband at campaign functions when he wants me to 21 24 The Fords had planned to make a diplomatic trip to European nations after the midterm elections 21 Both Betty and Gerald Ford refused to comment on speculation that President Nixon might be forced out of office due to the Watergate scandal 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 also publicly expressed admiration and friendship toward First Lady Pat Nixon 3 First Lady of the United States 1974 1977 Edit Vice President Gerald Ford is sworn in as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger in the East Room at the White House as Betty Ford looks on 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 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 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 3 Public image influence and candor Edit Betty and Gerald Ford riding in the presidential limousine in 1974 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 28 Ford ultimately became a popular and impactful first lady In the opinion of The New York Times and several presidential historians Mrs Ford s impact on American culture may be far wider and more lasting than that of her husband who served a mere 896 days much of it spent trying to restore the dignity of the office of the president 29 She was regarded to be the most politically outspoken first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt 7 30 Ford regarded Roosevelt a role model 31 Active in social policy Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse 32 Repeatedly speaking out on women s issues Ford was a leader in the changing status of women in American society 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 Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband However not everything Ford did as first lady broke tradition 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 33 Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as a product and symbol of the cultural and political times doing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House donning a mood ring chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mama a 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 34 Ford was open about the benefits of psychiatric treatment and spoke understandingly about marijuana use and premarital sex 35 The New York News Service wrote that Ford was constitutionally incapable of uttering no comment or otherwise fudging an answer 36 As first lady remarking on her honest candor and the sometimes controversial remarks it resulted in Ford declared I am not very good at making up stories In another instance she commented it s just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them This is my problem 7 36 While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife some of his senior staff resented her independent candor 3 Ford sits in the White House Solarium with Morley Safer before filming her August 1975 60 Minutes interview with him Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10 1975 3 The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public 3 After the interview aired a number of Ford s remarks in this interview on hot button issues generated particularly immense media attention 7 Due to conservative backlash from Ford s comments on premarital sex marijuana use and abortion in a 1975 60 Minutes interview President Ford initially quipped to her that her comments had lost him a large number of votes 7 34 37 However polling would show that her comments were accepted by many Americans 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 That same year People named Ford one of the three most intriguing people in America 40 In 1977 the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most influential American women 38 In January 1976 Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show 41 Ford in November 1975 sitting at the Hay Adams Hotel with television producer Ed Weinberger and actress Mary Tyler Moore during the filming of Ford s cameo appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history Neither was shy about their mutual love and equal respect and they were known to have a strong personal and political partnership 15 This open affection was evident from the beginning of Gerald Ford s presidency Ford was observed audibly telling her husband I love you following a kiss they shared right after he was sworn in as president Later that day President Ford was caught momentarily patting Betty s buttocks before the press gathered outside of their Virginia residence 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 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 And if they d asked me that I would have told them she said adding that her response would be As often as possible 10 Popularity Edit Ford was popular with the American public Her overall approval rating was at times as high as 75 34 Ford s popularity often was higher than her husband s 19 Ford said during her husband s failed 1976 presidential campaign I would give my life to have Jerry have my poll numbers 34 This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married 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 46 The poll gauges Americans most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre arranged list of names 43 In 1974 Ford placed second in the poll 47 She placed first in 1975 46 In 1977 the year her husband left office she placed fourth 48 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 46 44 Contrarily to her while President Ford ranked in the top 10 positions of most admired men in multiple years 49 50 51 52 he never managed to top it 46 In Good Housekeeping s annual readers poll of most admired women Ford placed second in 1974 53 and first in 1975 40 By late 1975 Harris found Ford to have established herself as one of America s most popular first ladies 37 33 In January 1976 the editors of the New York News Service wrote that Ford was one of the most charming and popular First Ladies ever to occupy the White House 36 Ranking in Gallup s annual poll of Most Admired Women Edit 43 44 45 47 46 48 Year Rank Year Rank Year Rank1974 2nd 1980 3rd 1986 8th1975 1st 1981 5th 1987 7th1976 no poll conducted 1982 8th 1988 5th1977 4th 1983 4th 1989 7th1978 1st 1984 6th 1990 8th1979 5th tied with Jaclyn Smith 1985 7th 1991 10thApproval polling Edit Segment polled Polling group Date Approve Disapprove Sample size Margin of error SourceNational poll Roper Center 1976 71 24 42 National poll Roper Center 1975 50 36 42 Social policy and political activism Edit A sign being displayed in Portland Maine in August 1975 expressing support for Ford s stance on various women s issues 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 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 32 On September 4 1974 weeks after becoming first lady Ford conducted a 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 19 A handmade flag given to Betty Ford that demonstrates her support for the Equal Rights Amendment Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment In her September 4 1974 press conference Ford declared her support for it 19 Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment and took on opponents of the amendment 54 33 Ford utilized phone calls letter writing and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA 33 Ford was also unapologetically pro abortion rights 19 54 In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes Ford called Roe v Wade a great great decision 19 Ford s abortion position differed from the political platform of the Republican Party 19 For a long time it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife s pro abortion rights viewpoint In December 1999 he told interviewer Larry King that he too was pro abortion rights and had been criticized for that stance by conservative forces within the Republican Party 54 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 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 33 Ford took personal credit for the appointment of Carla Anderson Hills as secretary of Housing and Urban Development 7 In May 1975 during a four day trip 55 Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyễn Cao Kỳ to discuss Southeast Asia refugees Afterwards Ford stated she was impressed with the conduct of the refugees 56 Ford s involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism Phyllis Schlafly accused Ford of acting improperly by intervening in state affairs Some women protested Ford s lobbying for the ERA by carrying placards outside of the White House reading Betty Ford Get Off the Phone 33 On June 30 1976 Ford attended the opening of Remember the Ladies a Revolutionary War era women s exhibit 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 57 Health and breast cancer awareness Edit President Ford sits at Betty s bedside at Bethesda Naval Hospital on October 2 1974 as she recovers from her mastectomy Betty Ford hosts actress Rosalind Russell at the White House on May 11 1976 Russell was suffering from breast cancer and would die 6 months later Ford viewing the Queen s Sitting Room during a Tour of the White House 1977 Weeks after Ford became first lady she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28 1974 after having been diagnosed with the disease 58 Ford decided to be open about her illness because There had been so much cover up during Watergate that we wanted to be sure there would be no cover up in the Ford administration 59 Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about When other women have this same operation it doesn t make any headlines she told Time But the fact that I was the wife of the President put it in headlines and brought before the public this particular experience I was going through It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them I m sure I ve saved at least one person maybe more 60 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 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 59 According to Tasha N Dubriwny the massive media coverage of Ford s mastectomy was constrained by stereotypical gender roles particularly the need for breast cancer patients to maintain their femininity 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 Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors 61 The arts Edit As First Lady Ford was an advocate of the arts She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976 She received an award from Parsons The New School for Design in recognition of her style 3 State dinners Edit See also List of state dinners in the United States Betty and Gerald Ford with King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan at the first state dinner of Gerald Ford s presidency on August 16 1974 Betty and Gerald with French President Valery Giscard d Estaing and his wife Anne Aymone Giscard d Estaing at a May 17 1976 state dinner in their honor The Fords host Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the President s Dining Room during a 1976 state visit Despite the brevity of her husband s presidency roughly two and a half years he hosted 33 state dinners the fifth most state dinners of any United States president 25 The first of these came only a week into Ford s presidency hosting King Hussein of Jordan on August 16 1974 25 62 Once she became first lady it fell to Ford to arrange this already scheduled dinner 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 64 As previously mentioned the Fords had hosted a state dinner for King Hussein months earlier during Gerald Ford s vice presidency on March 12 1974 after president Nixon asked then Vice President Ford to take over for him in hosting a planned dinner for the King 25 26 At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon s presidency 62 At the state dinners of the Ford presidency the president and first lady always led off the dancing and dancing often lasted beyond midnight 62 The Fords opted to have eclectic array of guests at their state dinners including notable celebrities from the entertainment industry The Fords children often also attended the dinners they hosted 62 During their final year in the White House the Fords hosted eleven state dinners 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 made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside For state dinners held using this tent the receptions entertainment and dancing portions of the evenings were still held inside of the White House 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 This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations and was held in tent on the South Lawn of the White House 65 66 Of the state dinners she planned Ford said From the beginning Jerry and I tried to make the White House a place where people could have fun and enjoy themselves Most of all we wanted the state dinners to express the very best about America particularly during the bicentennial year 62 Dishes that Ford particularly liked serving at state dinners included wild rice 25 67 Columbia River salmon souffle and flambe The state dinners that Ford planned as first lady made a deliberate effort to showcase American ingredients 25 By late 1974 Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American cultivated at state dinners The November 12 1974 state dinner for Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky saw the first instance in which a wine from the Fords home state of Michigan was served at a White House state dinner with wine from the Tabor Hill Winery being served It was not until 2016 that a Michigan wine would again be served at a White House state dinner 25 Gallery of images 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 Kōjun down the Cross Hall towards the East Room during an October 1975 state dinner honoring the Japanese royalsDiplomatic trips Edit Ford joining dance students at the May 7th College of Art in Beijing China December 3 1975 Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China Poland Romania and Yugoslavia 3 Ford did not take any solo trips aboad as first lady 3 68 She is the most recent first lady not to have done so Ford s failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary however The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942 Ford s recent predecessor Lady Bird Johnson was among other first ladies that did not conduct solo trips abroad 68 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 Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press 7 Philanthropic causes Edit Ford supported numerous charities as first lady Ford assisted in fundraising for the little known Hospital for Sick Children in Washington D C whose patients were predominantly African American She also fundraised for No Greater Love in appreciation of its work benefiting Children of Vietnam War MIA and POWs She served as the honorary president of the National Lupus Foundation regarding lupus as a disease which impacted women yet received minimal public attention Her philanthropic support additionally placed a specific focus on charities serving children with special needs 3 Role in the 1976 presidential campaign Edit See also 1976 United States presidential election In November 1975 it was reported by the Associated Press that Ford s husband s advisors who had previously worried her outspoken comments would hurt him in the 1976 presidential election were now recognizing her popularity and desiring for her to have a greater role in the campaign 37 Ford ultimately played an important role in the 1976 election campaign Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States 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 3 During the campaign many Ford supporters wore campaign buttons with phrases like Betty s Husband for President in 76 and Keep Betty in the White House 19 The use of Ford in such a manner to promote her husband s candidacy was not the work of the campaign itself but rather produced by supporters outside of the campaign organization 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 In contrast there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign 3 Ford campaigned actively both during primary elections and the general election A contrast was publicly drawn between Ford and Nancy Reagan the wife of Ford s primary election challenger Ronald Reagan Reagan had contrasting views on issues such as drug experimentation by teenagers and the Equal Rights Amendment which she opposed passing 3 Many of Ford s views were aligned with or even more liberal than Rosalyn Carter the wife of Ford s Democratic general election opponent Jimmy Carter 3 During the primaries Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the campaign that were broadcast in New Hampshire 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 3 The campaign made a deliberate effort ahead of the 1976 Republican National Convention of sending Ford to liberal and moderate leaning states and not more conservative states in the western and southern United States 3 Between Labor Day and election day for the general election campaign Ford conducted multi stop speaking tours during which she visited western states including California Colorado Texas and Utah as well was northern midwest states including Illinois Michigan and Wisconsin 3 The heavy campaigning placed a strain on Ford s health During the general election her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve However even after this Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule 3 After Gerald Ford s defeat by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election she delivered her husband s concession speech because he had lost his voice while campaigning 3 16 The speech was delivered on the day after the election This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate s spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf 3 After her husband s narrow defeat there was some anecdotal speculation that Ford may have both have helped to alienate conservative Republicans from voting for her husband and at the same time helped attract him support from liberal and moderate Republicans Democrats and independents 3 Campaign button in support of President Ford s 1976 presidential campaign with the phrase Keep Betty in the White House Betty and Gerald Ford onstage at the 1976 Republican National Convention Ford reads her husband s 1976 presidential concession speech to the press Departure from the White House Edit See also Presidential transition of Jimmy Carter Photograph of Ford dancing on the table of the Cabinet Room During the period after the election Ford postponed scheduled plans to give her slated successor Rosalyn Carter a tour of the White House Unknown to Carter at the time this was likely due to Ford s fragility caused by her prescription drug abuse When Ford attempted to postpone the plans a second time President elect Carter called the White House and threatened to make a fuss in the news if the tour was not held as planned Ford capitulated and gave a brief but cordial tour of the White House to Rosalyn Carter on November 22 1976 coinciding with President elect Carter s White House meeting with President Ford 69 70 On January 19 1977 her last full day as first lady Betty Ford used her training as a Martha Graham dancer to jump up on the Cabinet Room table White House photographer David Hume Kennerly took a photo of her on the table 71 72 73 Gerald Ford did not know about or see the photo until 1994 74 A Ford family friend said that President Ford about fell off his chair when he saw the photo for the first time 75 76 The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an iconic photograph of Ford s time as First Lady 76 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 been a space occupied predominantly by white men 74 77 Gallery of images The Fords welcome President elect Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter to the White House on November 22 1976 during the presidential transition Ford and others applaud in the gallery during the 1977 State of the Union Address on January 19 1977 the Fords final full day in the White House The incoming and outgoing first and second couples pose for a photograph at the White House on the day of the inauguration of Jimmy Carter L R Vice President elect Walter Mondale incoming second lady Joan Mondale outgoing Vice President Nelson Rockefeller outgoing second lady Happy Rockefeller Betty Ford Gerald Ford incoming first lady Rosalynn Carter and President elect Carter At his inauguration Jimmy Carter takes the oath of office to succeed Gerald Ford as president Betty Ford stands in the lower left corner of this imagePost White House life and career EditAfter leaving the White House in 1977 Ford continued to lead an active public life 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 78 Many of Ford s most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords departure from the White House 19 In 1977 the Fords moved to Rancho Mirage California 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 79 and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs 80 In June 1977 Ford was a speaker at the Arthritis Association Convention 81 In September of that year Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker 82 In November 1977 Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women s Conference in Houston Texas 83 84 Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction Edit Ford had suffered from a dependency on prescription medication and from alcoholism prior even to her husband s presidency 19 Ford had particularly become addicted to prescription medication opioid analgesics that she had been originally prescribed in the early 1960s to treat a pinched nerve 3 19 Ford took doses of this medication in excess of her prescription 19 In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions writing I liked alcohol it made me feel warm And I loved pills They took away my tension and my pain 85 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 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 86 After they left the White House her addictions became more evident to her family and appeared life threatening 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 She agreed that day to detox from her medicine She also ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach California Ford succeeded in getting sober 3 19 Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11 1978 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 Ford s transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact The week she entered rehab Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication Days later Ford also disclosed to the public that she had come to realize that she was additionally an alcoholic She disclosed her alcoholism through a statement that a family spokesman read on her behalf at a press conference at which Ford was not herself present held outside of the hospital 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 In this statement she also praised the reputation of the hospital s addiction treatment program and declared her pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the treatment The statement also declared I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems I embrace it not only for me but all the many others who are here to participate 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 86 Ford published her first memoir in 1978 The Times of My Life in which she discussed her battle with addiction 19 During a January 1984 address in Michigan to a crowd of individuals who were in the early stages of alcohol and drug dependency treatment Ford declared that the six years since she began her treatment for alcohol and drug abuse have been the best years in my life from the standpoint of feeling healthier and feeling more comfortable with myself 87 The Betty Ford Center Edit Main article Betty Ford Center Photograph of Ford standing outside of the Betty Ford Center 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 88 including treating the children of alcoholics 89 She partnered with her friend Ambassador Leonard Firestone to found it 90 She served as chair of the board of directors She also co authored with Chris Chase a book about her treatment Betty A Glad Awakening 1987 In 2003 Ford produced another book Healing and Hope Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery In 2005 Ford relinquished her chair of the center s board of directors to her daughter Susan She had held the top post at the center since its founding 15 90 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 Because she suffered there will be more healing Because of her grief there will be more joy 91 Women s movement Edit Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA 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 That same year she joined First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Rosalynn Carter to open and participate in the National Women s Conference in Houston Texas where she endorsed measures in the convention s National Plan of Action a report sent to the state legislatures the U S Congress and the President on how to improve the status of American women 92 Ford continued to be an outspoken supporter of equal pay for women breast cancer awareness and the ERA throughout her life 93 She was an active member of the Junior League 94 Ford center together at the 1977 National Women s Conference with First Lady Rosalynn Carter left and fellow former first lady Lady Bird Johnson right Ford continued to advocate for the ratification of the ERA In November 1977 Ford and First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined together to advocate for its ratification at the National Women s Conference in Houston 95 In 1978 the deadline for ratification of the ERA was extended from 1979 to 1982 resulting largely from a march of a hundred thousand people on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington The march was led by prominent feminist leaders including Ford Bella Abzug Elizabeth Chittick Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem In 1981 Eleanor Smeal the National Organization for Women s president announced Ford s appointment to be the co chair with Alan Alda of the ERA Countdown Campaign 96 In November 1981 Ford stated that Governor of Illinois James R Thompson had not done enough in support of the ERA as well as her disappointment with First Lady Nancy Reagan not being in favor of the measure though also relayed her hopes to change the incumbent First Lady s mind in further encounters with her 97 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 Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA She visited states including Illinois where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing 98 On October 12 1981 Ford spoke in support of the ERA on a rally held at the National Mall 95 The amendment did not receive enough states ratification In 2004 Ford reaffirmed her pro abortion rights stance and her support for the 1973 U S Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade as well as her belief in and support for the ratification of the ERA 99 Other matters Edit Ford tackled the stigmatized issue of HIV AIDS during the HIV AIDS crisis Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS She involved herself in the Los Angeles AIDS Project In 1985 Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects Commitment to Life Award 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 When she attended the 1992 Republican National Convention Ford wore an AIDS ribbon pin 86 100 Ford supported gay and lesbian causes speaking against discrimination in the United States military 19 In 1993 Ford was quoted as speaking against existing bans gays from serving in the military remarking Constitutionally all citizens have the right to serve their country as long as they abide by the rules and regulations of military service There have been gays and lesbians serving our country for many years There haven t been any more problems than there have been in situations like Tailhook with heterosexuals I do not believe they should be asked to leave the military 100 In 1985 Ford received the Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged an annual award given by the Jefferson Awards 101 That same year Ford received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement This was formally presented to her by President Ford who was an Academy Awards Council member 102 In 1987 Ford underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery and recovered without complications 103 In the early 1990s Ford voiced admiration for First Lady Hillary Clinton and praised her for taking an active role in policy within her husband s administration by leading the Clinton health care plan 100 In 1987 Ford was inducted into the Michigan Women s Hall of Fame 104 On November 18 1991 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H W Bush 3 105 In 1999 she and President Ford were jointly awarded Congressional Gold Medals 106 That same year a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband 107 In 2000 the Lasker Foundation awarded Ford its annual Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award 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 3 During her and President Ford s later years together they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek Colorado 3 President Ford died aged 93 of heart failure on December 26 2006 at their Rancho Mirage home 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 3 Following her husband s death Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage Poor health and increasing frailty due to operations in August 2006 and April 2007 for blood clots in her legs caused her to largely curtail her public life Ill health prevented Ford from attending the funeral of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson s in July 2007 and her daughter Susan Ford Bales instead represented her at the funeral service 3 Gallery of images The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981 Betty Ford is awarded the nation s highest civilian honor the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H W Bush 1991 First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal Ford with other U S First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Seated l r Lady Bird Johnson Pat Nixon Rosalynn Carter Ford Standing l r 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 L R 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 husbandDeath and funeral Edit Burial site of Betty and Gerald Ford Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8 2011 three months after her 93rd birthday at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage 16 109 Ford left 500 000 to the Betty Ford Center 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 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 In attendance were former president Bill Clinton former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush 78 In her remarks Mrs Cheney noted that July 14 would have been Gerald Ford s 98th birthday 111 After the service Betty Ford was buried next to her husband on the museum grounds 110 In July 2018 a statue of Ford was unveiled outside of the Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids Michigan 112 Historical assessments EditAccording to John Robert Greene Only a part of Betty Ford s legacy will be that of her role as first lady 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 Her role as a public health advocate distinguishes her as one of the most influential women of the latter part of the twentieth century 113 Since 1982 Siena College Research Institute has conducted occasional surveys asking historians to assess American first ladies according to a cumulative score on the independent criteria of their background value to the country intelligence courage accomplishments integrity leadership being their own women public image and value to the president Ford has consistently ranked among the top nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys 114 In terms of cumulative assessment Ford has been ranked 6th best of 42 in 1982 114 9th best of 37 in 1993 114 8th best of 38 in 2003 114 7th best of 38 in 2008 114 6th best of 39 in 2014 114 The 2008 Siena Research Institute survey ranked Ford the 5th highest of the twenty 20th and 21st century First Ladies 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 115 In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys Ford was similarly ranked the 5th highest in historians assessment of first ladies courage 116 117 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 114 In the 2014 Siena Research Institute survey survey Ford and her husband were ranked the 19th highest out of 39 first couples in terms of being a power couple 118 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 The American public ranked Ford as the eighth greatest among these first ladies 119 Cultural depictions EditFord 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 Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford 120 121 122 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 Kristine Froseth and Michelle Pfeiffer 123 Awards and honors Edit The National Woman s Party presents Ford with a plaque honoring her as its inaugural Alice Paul Award in the White House s Map Room on January 11 1977 the 92nd birthday of Alice Paul 124 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 40 Other honors and awards include 1975 National Woman s Party Alice Paul Award 124 1975 Philadelphia Association for Retarded Citizens Humanitarian Award 125 1975 National Art Association Distinguished Woman of the Year Award 125 1975 Anti Defamation League Women s Division Rita V Tishman Human Relations Award 125 1975 Florists Transworld Delivery Golden Rose Award 125 Order of the Pleiades awarded in 1975 by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran 126 1976 Parsons Annual Critics Awards Show Parsons Award an award given to individuals that not only advance the cause of American fashion but in doing so serve as an inpiration for students who are about to assume professional and citizenship roles in American society 127 1978 Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award 128 1981 Friends of Hebrew University Scopus Award 128 1982 American Cancer Society Hubert Humphrey Inspirational Award 128 1983 Susan G Komen Foundation Komen Foundation Award 128 1984 National Arthritis Foundation Harding Award 1985 Jefferson Awards for Public Service Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged 101 1985 American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award 102 1985 AIDS Project Los Angeles Commitment to Life Award 128 1986 National Council on Alcoholism Golden Key Award 128 Inducted into the Michigan Women s Hall of Fame in 1987 104 1987 International Center for the Disabled Freedom of Human Spirit Award 1988 College of Communication at the University of Texas McGovern Distinguished Leadership Award 128 Citation of Layman for Distinguished Service awarded by the American Medical Association in 1979 Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded in 1991 by President George H W Bush 3 105 1991 International Women s Forum Hall of Fame Award 128 1995 Samaritan Institute National Samaritan Award 128 1995 Columbia Hospital for Women Breast Cancer Awareness Lifetime Achievement Award 128 1995 Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse Distinguished Service Award 128 1996 Bob Hope Classic Ball awardee 128 1997 American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award 128 1997 Michigan Women s Foundation Women of Achievement amp Courage award 128 1997 Women s International Center Living Legacy Award 128 1998 Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service 128 1998 Ronald McDonald House Charities Award of Excellence Congressional Gold Medal in 1999 jointly awarded to Betty and Gerald Ford 106 Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars jointly awarded to Betty and Gerald Ford in 1999 107 1999 American Hospital Association C Everett Koop Health Award 128 2000 Lasker Foundation Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award 108 2003 Smithsonian Institution Woodrow Wilson Center Woodrow Wilson Award 3 National Women s Hall of Fame inducted posthumously in 2013 129 Things and places named for Ford Edit Betty Ford Cancer Research Center at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles California named after Ford in 1978 128 Betty Ford Center for Comprehensive Breast Diagnosis at Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington D C named for ford in 1980 128 hospital now defunct 130 Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail Colorado 128 Susan G Komen Foundation Betty Ford Award formerly known as the Women Foundation Award 128 Books authored EditFord Betty Chase Chris 1978 The Times of My Life New York City New York Harper amp Row ISBN 978 0 06 011298 1 Ford Betty Chase Chris 1987 Betty a Glad Awakening Garden City New York Doubleday ISBN 978 0 385 23502 0 Ford Betty Betty Ford Center 2003 Healing and Hope Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery New York City New York Putnam Penguin Group ISBN 978 0 399 15138 5 See also Edit Biography portal United States portal Politics portalList of breast cancer patients according to occupation List of first ladies of the United States Second wave feminismCitations Edit Susan Ford C SPAN org www c span org Wedding Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Archived from the original on February 11 2020 Retrieved February 11 2020 Gerald R Ford Jr and Betty Bloomer Warren at their wedding rehearsal dinner a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk First Lady Biography Betty Ford National First Ladies Library n d Archived from the original on May 9 2012 Retrieved July 10 2011 a b Ford Betty Chase Chris 1978 The Times of My Life p 22 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Betty Ford Biography com April 2 2014 Retrieved May 15 2022 Betty Ford Dies at Age 93 A Look Back on the Former First Lady Business 2 Community Archived from the original on June 5 2013 a b c d e f g h i j k l Betty Ford Newspapers com Des Moines Tribune The New York Times January 9 1976 Retrieved May 15 2022 a b Betty Ford Biography www firstladies org National First Ladies Library Archived from the original on May 9 2012 Retrieved May 10 2022 Ford Betty Chase Chris 1978 The Times of My Life p 21 a b Tucker Neely December 29 2006 Betty Ford Again Putting On a Brave Face The Washington Post Retrieved July 16 2011 Ford Betty Chase Chris 1978 The Times of My Life pp 39 41 a b c d Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum www fordlibrarymuseum gov Gerald R Ford Presidential Library amp Museum Retrieved May 15 2022 Howard Jane December 8 1974 The 38th First Lady not a robot at all The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 11 2021 a b Gerald R Ford Timeline geraldrfordfoundation org Gerald R Ford Foundation Retrieved May 15 2022 a b c Video documentary May 16 2009 Betty Ford The Real Deal requires Adobe Flash 57 minutes PBS NewsHour via Public Broadcasting Service Retrieved July 10 2011 a b c Nemy Enid July 9 2011 Betty Ford Former First Lady Dies at 93 The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved July 11 2021 The Watergate Story The Washington Post Ashley Jeffrey S 2003 Betty Ford A Symbol of Strength Nova Publishers p 52 ISBN 978 1 59033 407 2 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Fling Sarah November 5 2019 Betty Ford Activist First Lady www whitehousehistory org White House Historical Association Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Betty s life changed dramatically once she became fordlibrarymuseum tumblr com Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved May 15 2022 a b c d e f g h i Marks Dorothy May 14 1974 Friends Asking Is There A New Betty Ford Newspapers com Rocky Mount Telegram Women s New Service Retrieved May 15 2022 Kreitner Richard October 10 2015 October 10 1973 Vice President Spiro Agnew Resigns The Nation Retrieved May 15 2022 Piker Mark April 21 2022 How Betty Ford Made History Inside The White House and Beyond Town amp Country Retrieved November 26 2022 a b c d e f g Radcliffe Donnie July 24 1974 Betty Ford unaffected but not a plain country girl Newspapers com The Rock Island Argus Los Angeles Times Washington Post Retrieved May 15 2022 a b c d e f g Hickey C K February 16 2019 All the Presidents Meals Foreign Policy Retrieved May 10 2022 a b Hussein Assured on U S Peace Efforts The New York Times March 13 1974 Retrieved May 10 2022 March 13 1974 Vice President and King Hussein of Jordan PDF www fordlibrarymuseum gov Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved May 15 2022 Anthony Carl Sferrazza 1991 First Ladies The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961 1990 Volume II New York City William Morrow and Company p 220 ISBN 978 0 688 10562 4 Betty Ford s Legacy Wide and Lasting National Journal July 9 2011 Nichols John July 9 2011 Betty Ford Feminist Social Liberal Republican The Nation Retrieved May 15 2022 First Lady job tailored by the lady The Orlando Sentinel The Associated Press January 31 1993 Retrieved November 28 2022 via Newspapers com a b Women A Fighting First Lady Time March 3 1975 Archived from the original on January 22 2011 Retrieved July 15 2011 a b c d e f g Tobin Leesa E 1990 Betty Ford as First Lady A Woman for Women Presidential Studies Quarterly 20 4 761 767 ISSN 0360 4918 JSTOR 20700159 Retrieved September 20 2022 a b c d Steinhauer Jennifer December 31 2006 Back in View a First Lady With Her Own Legacy The New York Times Retrieved July 16 2011 a b Elizabeth Betty Ford Miller Center of Public Affairs n d Archived from the original on January 18 2012 Retrieved July 11 2011 a b c Betty s popularity rises because of her big mouth Newspapers com The Dispatch Moline Illinois New York News Service January 6 1976 Retrieved May 18 2022 a b c d Presidents Advisors Urging Bigger Role for Betty Ford Newspapers com Manitowoc Herald Times The Associated Press November 11 1975 Retrieved May 15 2022 a b Digitized from Box 39 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R Ford Presidential Library PDF www fordlibrarymuseum gov Ford Library Museum Retrieved May 15 2022 a b Person of the Year A Photo History TIME Time December 16 2006 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b c Tucker Neely December 29 2006 Betty Ford again putting on a brave face NBC News Retrieved May 13 2022 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Watch Betty Ford s Memorable Cameo tvseriesfinale com July 11 2011 Retrieved August 27 2022 a b c Then and Now First Ladies Roper Center for Public Opinion Research ropercenter cornell edu Roper Center Cornell University Retrieved May 15 2022 a b c Gallup George Jr January 2 1985 Thatcher America s most admired woman Newspapers com The Tampa Tribune Los Angeles Times Syndicate Retrieved May 13 2022 a b c Most Admired Men and Women 1948 1998 news gallup com Gallup December 13 1999 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Multiple sources Gallup George January 23 1980 Gallup Rosalynn Carter Most Admired Newspapers com Newsday Suffolk Edition Melville New York Retrieved May 13 2022 Gallup George December 24 1981 Nancy Reagan Thatcher honored Newspapers com Merced Sun Star Retrieved May 13 2022 Nancy Reagan No 1 Newspapers com Johnson City Press January 2 1982 Retrieved May 13 2022 Top of the Line Miami Herald January 13 1983 Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com Gallup George January 12 1984 12 Jan 1984 9 The News and Observer at Newspapers com Newspapers com The News and Observer Raleigh North Carolina Los Angeles Times Syndicate Retrieved May 13 2022 Gallup George Jr January 2 1985 Thatcher America s most admired woman Newspapers com The Tampa Tribune Los Angeles Times syndacate Retrieved January 14 2023 Most admired in 85 Newspapers com The Lompoc Record February 2 1986 Gallup George Jr Castelli Jim March 21 1987 Religious leaders make gains in most admired lists Newspapers com Los Angeles Times Washington Post News Service Gallup George Jr Gallup Alec January 19 1988 First lady Nancy Reagan is most admired woman Newspapers com The Palm Beach Post Retrieved May 13 2022 Bush Gorbachev Are 1 2 In Popularity Poll Newspapers com St Louis Post Dispatch The Gallup Organization December 27 1989 Retrieved May 13 2022 Americans Heroes Newspapers com The Palm Beach Post January 4 1991 Retrieved May 13 2022 McAney Leslie January 5 1992 President Barbara Bush Top Most Admired Lists Newspapers com The Daily Oklahoman Retrieved May 13 2022 a b c d e Most Admired Man and Woman news gallup com Gallup 2020 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Gallup George December 31 1974 Meir Is Most Admired Woman The Clarion Ledger Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com a b Gallup George January 1 1978 1 Jan 1978 21 Tampa Bay Times at Newspapers com Newspapers com St Petersburg Times Retrieved May 13 2022 Gallup George December 22 1978 Carter First On Most Admired Man List Montgomery Advertiser Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com Kissinger Again Most Admired Man The Tampa Tribune December 29 1974 Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com Gallup George January 4 1981 Pope Tops List of Most Admired The Anniston Star Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com Reagan Replaces Pope as Most Admired Man Rapid City Journal January 3 1982 Archived from the original on February 27 2022 Retrieved February 28 2022 via Newspapers com Golda Meir Named As Most Admired Betty Ford Second The New York Times January 2 1975 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b c d Transcript December 30 2006 Special Encore Presentation Interview with Gerald Ford Larry King Live CNN Retrieved July 11 2011 Hunter Marjorie May 25 1975 Betty Ford in Tip Top Shape After Grueling Four Day Trip The New York Times Hunter Marjorie May 22 1975 FIRST LADY VISITS WITH KY ON COAST The New York Times Klemesrud Judy June 30 1976 Mrs Ford Helps Remember the Ladies of Revolutionary Era The New York Times A Leading Lady Cancertodaymag org Retrieved July 21 2021 a b Gibbs Nancy July 8 2011 Betty Ford 1918 2011 Time Retrieved July 16 2011 a b Staff November 4 1974 Breast Cancer Fear and Facts Time Retrieved July 11 2011 Tasha N Dubriwny Constructing breast cancer in the news Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient Journal of Communication Inquiry 33 2 2009 104 125 a b c d e f Colacello Bob May 11 2010 The White House s Dinner Theater Vanity Fair Retrieved May 10 2022 Jackson Harold July 10 2011 Betty Ford obituary The Guardian Retrieved May 10 2022 Gutgold Nichola Hobgood Linda January 1 2004 A Certain Comfort Betty Ford as First Lady Inventing a Voice The Rhetoric of American First Ladies of the Twentieth Century 325 340 Retrieved September 22 2022 Notable State Dinners at the White House www whitehousehistory org White House Historical Association Retrieved May 10 2022 Silver Alexandra January 19 2011 Top 10 Memorable State Dinner Moments TIME Time Retrieved May 10 2022 Jaime Fuller February 11 2014 That time FDR served hot dogs to the king and three other strange state dinner facts Washington Post Retrieved May 11 2022 a b Factbox Notable first ladies and their travels Reuters April 12 2010 Retrieved May 16 2022 Brower Kate Andersen April 6 2016 When first ladies meet An awkward post election White House tradition Washington Post Retrieved January 19 2023 Times Marjorie Hunter Special to The New York November 23 1976 Mrs Carter Looks Over School Then Goes on White House Tour The New York Times Retrieved January 19 2023 Betty Ford Gilded Cage Meet Free Spirit July 12 2011 Retrieved March 21 2019 Dancing on the table Gerald R Ford Library Retrieved December 31 2018 LOOK Proof Betty Ford Was A Total Badass HuffPost October 16 2013 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Booth William June 2008 Betty Ford s Tabled Resolution www smithsonianmag com Smithsonian Magazine Retrieved August 27 2022 First Women The Grace and Power of America s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower a b The story behind an iconic Betty Ford photo CBS News August 9 2020 Retrieved August 27 2022 Kennerly David Hume August 27 2022 The First Lady David Hume Kennerly Retrieved October 8 2022 a b c After Funeral Service Betty Ford Buried Next to Husband NBC News July 14 2011 Retrieved July 16 2011 Brown Les March 12 1977 NBC News Signs Betty Ford to Pact For Two Specials The New York Times Mitgang Herbert March 9 1977 FORD AND WIFE SIGN PACT FOR MEMOIRS The New York Times Ford Calls B1 Halt Very Risky Gamble Sarasota Herald Tribune July 1 1977 Betty Ford in Moscow The New York Times September 25 1977 Klemesrud Judy November 20 1977 Equal Rights Plan and Abortion Are Opposed by 15 000 at Rally The New York Times 1977 National Women s Conference A Question of Choices retrieved March 11 2021 Gibbs Nancy July 8 2011 Betty Ford 1918 2011 Time Retrieved September 20 2017 a b c d MacPherson Myra Radcliffe Donnie April 22 1978 Betty Ford Says That She Is Addicted to Alcohol Washington Post Retrieved May 13 2022 Former first lady Betty Ford says the six years UPI January 27 1984 Addiction Treatment Betty Ford Center Rancho Mirage CA bettyfordcenter org Betty Ford targets children of addicted families USA Today January 16 2002 a b Betty Ford Biography The Gerald Ford Foundation Archived from the original on October 13 2014 Retrieved October 27 2012 Bush Barbara 2015 Barbara Bush A Memoir Scribner p 180 ISBN 978 1501117787 Sisters of 77 The Conference Independent Lens Public Broadcasting Service n d Retrieved July 16 2011 Barth Werb Zoe July 12 2011 Former First Lady and Women s Rights Advocate Betty Ford Blog of Rights ACLU Retrieved July 16 2011 Betty Ford The Junior League of Grand Rapids www ajli org a b Betty Ford and the Equal Rights Amendment The ERA Countdown Campaign Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved January 19 2023 Smeal Eleanor opinion essay July 9 2011 Betty Ford Champion of Women s Rights CNN Archived from the original on July 16 2011 Retrieved July 16 2011 Former first lady Betty Ford says she is disappointed UPI November 18 1981 Carabillo Toni Meuli Judith Csida June Bundy 1993 Feminist Chronicles 1953 1993 Los Angeles California Women s Graphics via Feminist Majority Foundation ISBN 978 0 9634912 0 6 Retrieved July 16 2011 Stanley Tim opinion essay July 9 2011 Betty Ford s death marks the passing of a lost generation of moderate Republican women The Daily Telegraph UK Archived from the original on July 11 2011 Retrieved January 6 2012 a b c Anthony Carl Sferrazza April 8 1993 First Lady of Candor Washington Post a b National Jefferson Awards Jefferson Awards Archived from the original on November 24 2010 Retrieved August 5 2013 a b Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement www achievement org American Academy of Achievement Betty Ford Returns Home The New York Times December 2 1987 Retrieved September 20 2017 a b Betty Ford www ggrwhc org Greater Grand Rapids Women s History Council Retrieved January 19 2023 a b Heroes of the Presidential Medal of Freedom PDF file 806 KB National First Ladies Library November 16 2010 p 3 Retrieved July 16 2011 Betty Ford 1918 Presidential Medal of Freedom received November 18 1991 a b Fords receive congressional gold medal October 27 1999 CNN October 27 1999 Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Palm Springs Walk of Stars By Date Dedicated PDF palmspringswalkofstars com Archived from the original PDF on December 8 2012 a b Hofschneider Mark Awareness education and treatment for substance abuse Lasker Foundation Retrieved January 20 2023 Ex First Lady Advocate for Substance Abuse Treatment Betty Ford Dies CNN July 9 2011 Retrieved July 16 2011 a b Betty Ford Memorial Schedule Detroit Free Press July 12 2011 Archived from the original on July 18 2011 Retrieved July 16 2011 Gray Kathleen Christoff Chris July 14 2011 Betty Ford Funeral Family Friends Eulogize Former First Lady Detroit Free Press Retrieved July 15 2011 Betty Ford Sculpture Unveiled at Ford Museum Detroit Free Press Retrieved August 8 2019 John Robert Greene Ford Betty 2013 a b c d e f g 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 amp FDR Top Power Couple Mary Drags Lincolns Down in the Ratings PDF scri siena edu Siena Research Institute February 15 2014 Retrieved May 16 2022 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 PDF Siena Research Institute December 18 2008 Retrieved May 16 2022 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 PDF Siena Research Institute September 29 2003 Retrieved May 16 2022 Overall Results pdf PDF Siena Research Institute 1993 Retrieved May 16 2022 2014 Power Couple Score PDF scri siena edu Siena Research Institute C SPAN Study of the First Ladies of the United States Retrieved October 9 2022 The Zogby Poll Greatness of the past 12 First Ladies zogbyanalytics com October 14 2021 Retrieved November 26 2022 The Betty Ford Story IMDB March 2 1987 Retrieved May 13 2022 Shaw Gabbi December 30 2020 Here s how 20 real life first ladies compare to the actors who have played them Business Insider Retrieved May 13 2022 Pearl Diana February 21 2017 White House Couples That Have Been Portrayed on Screen People Retrieved May 15 2022 Kang Inkoo April 14 2022 Review The First Lady turns three compelling women into Emmy bait Washington Post Retrieved May 13 2022 a b Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum The National Women s Party honored Betty Ford as Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved January 19 2023 a b c d The original documents are located in Box 29 folder Awards Presented to Betty Ford of the Betty Ford White House Papers 1973 1977 at the Gerald R Ford Presidential Library PDF www fordlibrarymuseum gov Gerald R Ford Presidential Library amp Museum Retrieved January 20 2023 Ford Museum Artifact Collections Head of State Gifts Artifacts medal from the Arab Republic of Egypt Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum www fordlibrarymuseum gov Retrieved January 22 2023 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 PDF www fordlibrarymuseum gov Gerald R Ford Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved January 20 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Betty Ford Awards and Honors Received www fordlibrarymuseum gov Gerald R Ford Presidential Library and Museum Retrieved January 20 2023 Ford Betty National Women s Hall of Fame Retrieved July 21 2021 Natanson Hannah August 18 2019 We lost something special The women s hospital in D C that became a Trader Joe s Washington Post Retrieved January 21 2023 Further reading EditAshley Jeffrey S The Social and Political Influence of Betty Ford Betty Bloomer Blossoms White House Studies 1 1 2001 101 109 Borrelli Maryanne Competing conceptions of the first ladyship Public responses to Betty Ford s 60 Minutes interview Presidential Studies Quarterly 31 3 2001 397 414 Brower Kate Andersen First women The grace and power of America s modern First Ladies HarperCollins 2017 Dubriwny Tasha N Constructing breast cancer in the news Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient Journal of Communication Inquiry 33 2 2009 104 125 Gould Lewis L Modern first ladies in historical perspective Presidential Studies Quarterly 15 3 1985 532 540 Greene John Robert Ford Betty American National Biography 2013 subscription required Greene John Robert Betty Ford Candor and Courage in the White House 2004 Gregory Knight Myra Issues of Openness and Privacy Press and Public Response to Betty Ford s Breast Cancer American Journalism 17 1 2000 53 71 Hummer Jill Abraham First Ladies and the Cultural Everywoman Ideal Gender Performance and Representation White House Studies 9 4 2009 pp 403 422 Compares Lady Bird Johnson Betty Ford and Barbara Bush McClellan Michelle L Fame through Shame Women Alcoholics Celebrity and Disclosure Journal of Historical Biography 13 2013 93 122 includes Margaret Mann Lillian Roth and Betty Ford Tobin Leesa E Betty Ford as first lady A woman for women Presidential Studies Quarterly 20 4 1990 761 767 Troy Gil Mr and Mrs President From the Trumans to the Clintons 2d rev ed 2000 Warters T Alissa Ford and Ford in Scott Kaufman ed A Companion to Gerald R Ford and Jimmy Carter 2015 pp 181 95 Watson Robert P The Presidents Wives The Office of the First Lady in US Politics 2nd ed 2014 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betty Ford Wikiquote has quotations related to Betty Ford Betty Ford a Visual History curated by Michigan State University Betty Ford at IMDb Remembering Betty Ford Archived December 21 2011 at the Wayback Machine slideshow by Life Appearances on C SPAN Betty Ford at C SPAN s First Ladies Influence amp ImageHonorary titlesVacantTitle last held byJudy Agnew Second Lady of the United States1973 1974 VacantTitle next held byHappy RockefellerPreceded byPat Nixon First Lady of the United States1974 1977 Succeeded byRosalynn CarterPreceded byFirst Chairwoman of Betty Ford Center1982 2005 Succeeded bySusan Ford Bales Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Betty Ford amp oldid 1152350101, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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