Los Angeles: Sage Publications. The Betty Ford Center, which already has helped change the lives of thousands of people, will be her lasting legacy of care and concern. Ford, who died Friday at age 93, was not intimidated by the public spotlight, and used her position to passionately promote causes important to her. "I certainly did not want it, and neither did our children. [14] The Fords would ultimately be married for the next 58 years, until Gerald Ford's death. [107][108] 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. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. 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). [41], The Fords were among the more openly affectionate first couples in United States history. 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. [76] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House. "In the end, simply by being herself, she made it easier for millions of American women to be themselves," Smith told ABC News. "Ford. "[88], Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. Betty Ford saw her role in the White House as official hostess and a goodwill ambassador. Betty Ford may be the most famous and least known First Lady in history. "[23], The media "broke" the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced, initially reporting it as a secret revelation. During these two years, she lived upstairs while he was nursed downstairs[3] She worked jobs in order to support both herself and Warren. Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. [114], In 1975, when Time named "American women" as its "Time Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women". What many don't know is that she was also a talented modern dancer. [3][75] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. "She was Jerry Ford's strength through some very difficult days in our country's history, and I admired her courage in facing and sharing her personal struggles with all of us. [54] She placed first in 1975. Betty Ford is awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President George H. W. Bush, 1991. Betty was 93 years old at the time of death. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it. I took that first hit and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . [38] In January 1976, Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Betty Ford was at his side. Betty Ford. He was a Bristol, Tennessee, native who had a 40-year career as a music . First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. Ford made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside. I embrace it, not only for me, but all the many others who are here to participate." [7][34][37] However, polling would show that her comments were accepted by many Americans. Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center in California, died at age. [21] In addition to the arts, Ford also gave focus to projects helping the disabled during her time as second lady. She became famous for her candor. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. YouTube. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. But the approach was almost unheard of decades ago when the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation came to be. Bush. [3] Ford also broke from the administration in giving her support to federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed. I did not know at the time what was going on. [8][70] She found out of this upcoming dinner and her responsibility for planning it through a phone call she received within 24-hours after her husband's swearing-in as president. She paused her divorce, and supported him, living at Warren's family's home for the next two years as his health recovered. [103], Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. Warters, T. Alissa. And I loved pills. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. 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. Ford assisted in fundraising for the little-known Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, D.C., whose patients were predominantly African American. ", President George W. Bush said he and his wife Laura "admired her as a first lady and valued her as a friend. [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. Betty Ford, the former First Lady of the United States who died on July 8 aged 93, exemplified the American virtue of positive thinking to overcome illness and addiction, and used her . [47] Kennerly has touted the image as both capturing Ford's personality and being a symbolic image showing the feminist first lady posing in what had conventionally been a room occupied predominantly by white men. [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. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. [92] 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. 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. Her own battle with breast cancer led to her advocacy for early breast cancer detection. On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died at home in Rancho Mirage, California at 6:45 p.m. local time (02:45, December 27, UTC). [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. [21], Both Betty and Gerald Ford refuse to comment on speculation that President Nixon might be forced out of office due to the Watergate scandal. [7], In May 1975, during a four-day trip,[62] Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyn Cao K to discuss Southeast Asia refugees. "[10], 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. 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. What was the location of death? The Golden Girls star, who passed away on Dec. 31 at age 99, died due to a cerebrovascular accident, according to her death certificate obtained by PEOPLE on Monday. [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. That is why I loved this stuff so much. After her initial anger over the intrusion in her life, Betty remained. [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. [91], 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. [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. [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,[77] and jointly signed with her husband to write their memoirs. "We were honored to host President and Mrs. Ford at the White House in 1998 when they received the Congressional Gold Medal for their dedication and service to our nation," the Clintons wrote. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. [18], Ford served as a parent-teacher association member, Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, and a Cub Scout "den mother". [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. It amounted to as aestheticization of breast cancer and her coverage became the major discursive model for looking at all breast cancer survivors. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. [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. The Betty Ford Center board endorsed the merger Tuesday. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also cited Ford's dedication to woman's rights and substance abuse issues, and recalled honoring her during her lifetime. [87] She served as chair of the board of directors. [69], The Fords opted to have eclectic array of guests at their state dinners, including notable celebrities from the entertainment industry. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. Her taboo-busting honesty about abortion, sex, gay rights, marijuana and the Equal Rights . [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. "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. As a young girl, Betty took up dancing, which quickly became her passion. [3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Courts ruling. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. She would be given prescription medication, including Valium. Penn State World Campus (2013). [79] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker. It was just that they were accustomed to the more formal atmosphere prevailing under the Nixons. 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. But, before . [25][69] Once she became first lady, it fell to Ford to arrange this already-scheduled dinner. She received an award from Parsons The New School for Design in recognition of her style. They took away my tension and my pain". The organization sought to bring together political spouses and female government federal employees to discuss current party activates and ideas about legislation. Ford will be buried alongside her husband, the former president, at his library in Grand Rapids, Mich., she added. 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 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush in 1991. [84], Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking in favor of same-sex marriage and against discrimination in the United States military. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. Betty Ford (1918-2011) was the wife of Gerald Ford, who was the 38th president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. July 8, 2011 — -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. [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. 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