how did betty ford die

"[66] Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about. Betty: A Glad Awakening. In another instance, she commented, "it's just impossible for me to lie and look someone in the eyes and talk to them. [34] Ford's popularity often was higher than her husband's. 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. [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. Emergency responders, including police, showed up at her home Friday morning as a standard procedure. Betty had a history of taking opioid painkillers for a pinched nerve since the 1960s (which is also alluded to in episode 1 of 'The First Lady'). [38] In January 1976, Ford made a cameo appearance on the popular television program The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It was not until 2016 that a Michigan wine would again be served at a White House state dinner. Betty White's cause of death has been revealed.. [3], During her and President Ford's later years together, they resided in Rancho Mirage and in Beaver Creek, Colorado. YouTube Betty White showing off her aquarium. [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. "[19], Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall. She also co-authored with Chris Chase a book about her treatment, Betty: A Glad Awakening (1987). In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it. Betty Ford wanted to be a professional dancer [79] In September of that year, Ford traveled to Moscow for a television program taping and to serve as hostess for The Nutcracker. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. She was 93. Reagan had contrasting views on issues such as drug experimentation by teenagers and the Equal Rights Amendment (which she opposed passing). 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. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. I got the stuff and got back to my place and did it. The Betty Ford Center, which already has helped change the lives of thousands of people, will be her lasting legacy of care and concern. Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford all smoked cigarettes but were never photographed doing so. She joined Graham's auxiliary troupe and eventually performed with the company at Carnegie Hall in New York City. [3][97] In 1999, she and President Ford were jointly awarded Congressional Gold Medals. Betty Ford Biography Betty Ford, the United States' first lady, was born on April 8, 1918. [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. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. At this point in her life, she was married to her first husband, businessman William Warren. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs.. [3][75] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. [35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.". Article continues below advertisement. She worked with children with disabilities at the Mary Free Bed Home for Crippled Children. 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. And I loved pills. [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. 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. She became famous for her candor. Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. Betty Bloomer Warren dances in "Fantasy," 1945. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. 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. She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. [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. Tennessee Ernie Ford, as he came to be known, was an ordinary man but his overwhelming success later led to his downfall. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. [89] Ford continued to be an outspoken supporter of equal pay for women, breast cancer awareness, and the ERA throughout her life. She was a remarkable political spouse, whose courageous candor helped forge a new era of openness after the divisiveness of the Vietnam War and Watergate. "Did they dislike her? [84], Funeral services were held in Palm Desert, California, on July 12, 2011, with more than 800 people in attendance, including former president George W. Bush, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, herself a former First Lady, former First Ladies Rosalynn Carter, who gave a eulogy,[76] and Nancy Reagan. [40] In 1977, the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most-influential American women. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. [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". Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. [72][73], 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. [55] 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. [76] Many of Ford's most significant contributions as an activist came following the Fords' departure from the White House. [3], The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981. Shortly after becoming president in 1974, Ford said, "I am indebted to no man and to only one woman, my dear wife.". [9][10] He died the day before his 60th birthday. She was working in a fashion job in Grand Rapids where Gerald lived. [105] 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". Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, the third child and only daughter of Hortense (ne Neahr; 1884 - 1948) and William Stephenson Bloomer Sr. (1874 - 1934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co. She was called Betty as a child.. Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. [33] On June 30, 1976, Ford attended the opening of "Remember the Ladies", a Revolutionary War-era women's exhibit. Though I told myself I would just use once. [19] Ford lobbied state legislatures to ratify the amendment, and took on opponents of the amendment. [84] After they left the White House, her addictions became more evident to her family and appeared life-threatening. The American public ranked Ford as the eighth-greatest among these first ladies. As a young girl, Betty took up dancing, which quickly became her passion. Throughout her husband's term in office, 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. Leadership: Theory and Practice. 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 . Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, died on this day in 2006. Photos of this moment were published widely in the American press, resulting in Betty Ford somewhat upstaging President Ford in the press. Betty Ford was a former First Lady of the United States (August 9th, 1974 - January 20th, 1977). She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. [3][5], 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. John Robert Greene. Elizabeth Anne Ford (ne 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. In fact, when Mrs . [3] The broadcast of the interview saw strong interest from the public. 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. One day in 1934, when she was 16, Betty came home and her father, a traveling salesman who had recently lost his job, had. 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. Nor did she address her relationship with alcohol, which she, at the time, believed was typical consumption. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. 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. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. AP. "I just think it's important to say how easy it is to slip into a dependency on pills or alcohol, and how hard it is to admit that dependency.". [63], Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. She supported the equal rights amendment and the legalization of abortion. We were proud to know her. Gerald and Betty Ford on their wedding day, October 15, 1948 In 1947 a friend introduced her to Gerald R. Ford, Jr., a young lawyer who had served as Navy lieutenant during World War II. [3], As she became a more active second lady, Ford adopted an objective of promoting the arts. [84] In 1991, Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush[3][97] She and President Ford jointly received a Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. In a tribute, Mark Updegrove, Director of the LBJ Library, who wrote much about the Ford family, said: Betty Ford was a thoroughly modern first ladyand among the most progressive we've ever had in the White House. [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. However, even after this, Ford continued with her planned campaign schedule. After leaving the White House, Mrs. Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment. [33], Steinhauer of The New York Times described Ford as "a product and symbol of the cultural and political timesdoing the Bump dance along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mamaa housewife who argued passionately for equal rights for women, a mother of four who mused about drugs, abortion and premarital sex aloud and without regret. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. You see, Betty (played on The First Lady by Michelle Pfeiffer and Kristine Froseth) was married to William before she wed former President Gerald Ford (Aaron Eckhart). ", President Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who succeeded the Fords in the White House, recalled "a close personal friend and our frequent partner in bipartisan efforts to improve mental health and substance abuse care in our nation. She also, ultimately agreed to attend rehab at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Long Beach, California. Betty Ford. [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." Ford has consistently ranked among the top-nine most highly assessed first ladies in these surveys. [101], In July 2018, a statue of Ford was unveiled outside of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ", Tasha N. Dubriwny, "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient.". While her death is a cause for sadness, we know that organizations such as the Betty Ford Center will honor her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life. However, she abused these prescriptions, regularly taking many more pills than prescribed. [36], During her time as first lady, Ford was an outspoken advocate of women's rights and was a prominent force in the Women's Movement of the 1970s. [3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. "[23], The media "broke" the story that Ford had a previous marriage and had been divorced, initially reporting it as a secret revelation. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. 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. This video contains excerpts from the second ha. 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. [83] The fact that Ford had, for years, been given tranquilizers to treat a pinched nerve in her neck, was public knowledge as far back as her time as second lady. The must-watch series is accompanied by the likes of Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey. Ford made the decision that year to erect a tent in the White House Rose Garden to host dinners outside. [15] This open affection was evident from the beginning of Gerald Ford's presidency. Asked about her illness, she said, "I'm very glad that I brought cancer to the forefront.". The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. 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. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. She briefly continued her studies with Graham in New York City until close family ties took her back to Grand Rapids in 1941. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush. This prospect elated Ford. CNN . The cause of Betty Ford's death was never disclosed. 12/26/2018 05:25 AM EST. She was 99. Afterwards, Ford stated she was impressed with the conduct of the refugees. [50] In 1974, Ford placed second in the poll. [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. [61], Ford successfully lobbied her husband to, in 1975, sign an executive order to establish the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year. Betty underwent a radical mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital and inadvertently destigmatized breast cancer by addressing her illness publicly during a White House press conference. From a young age, she had a passion for dancing. [98] That same year, she and President Ford were given a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". The first lady helped the nation restore its faith in the presidency following the Watergate scandal, once saying she wanted the White House to sing again. She made countless contributions to our country, and we especially appreciate her courage in calling attention to breast cancer and substance abuse. Her candor in talking about and dealing with substance abuse and treatment helped led to an improvement in how Americans talk about such matters. ", Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective. She got a job as assistant to the fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer's, a local department store. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. [3][5][12] They married on October 15, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. [71] 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. "Jerry did not want this," she wrote. [75], During the Fords' 1976 trip to mainland China, when being shown an exhibition by a Chinese arts college dance group, Ford decided to join the dancers. [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. [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. [109], In 2021, Zogby Analytics conducted a poll in which a sample of the American public was asked to assess the greatness of twelve First Ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy onwards. Live July 9, 2011 -- Former first lady Betty Ford, whose candor about her own battles with substance abuse helped erase much of the stigma attached to addiction, has died. [5] After he recovered, they were divorced on September 22, 1947. 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][12] With her husband assuming the office of vice president, Ford became the second lady of the United States. A mutual friend, Peg Neuman, suggested to Gerald that he should ask her out, so he called her. 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. Kalb shares a few things you may not know about the 38th . [69] At the state dinners of the Ford presidency, the president and first lady always led off the dancing, and dancing often lasted beyond midnight. [3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention. 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. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. [69], 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. [76] In her remarks, Mrs. Cheney noted that July 14 would have been Gerald Ford's 98th birthday. Married and divorced in her 20s, in 1947 her life changed forever when she met Gerald R. Ford. She worked a production line for a frozen food company in Fulton, New York. 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. The series is all set to release on the OTT platform on the 9th of May. I took that first hit and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced. 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. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". First Lady Barbara Bush holds the medal. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. [3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive. "She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center," Reagan said. [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. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. As we told you back in 2020, Betty rarely left her home once the COVID-19 pandemic began.. She continued to strongly advocate and lobby politicians and state legislatures for passage of the ERA. [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". She continued to serve as Chairman-Emeritus of the Betty Ford Center and enjoyed her role as grandmother and great-grandmother to her still-growing family. As First Lady of the United States from 1974-1977, Betty Ford was known for her candor. [69], During their final year in the White House, the Fords hosted eleven state dinners. Seated (lr): Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Ford; Standing (lr): Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, President Bill Clinton speaks with the Fords at the White House ceremony awarding the at a 1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the 1994 National Garden Gala, which was themed "A Tribune to America's First Ladies". [115] That same year, Ford received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by her husband, President Gerald Ford, an Academy Awards Council member. 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. "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. [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. July 8, 2011 — -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. "She was 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. 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). Gerald and Betty Ford with Richard and Pat Nixon as the latter depart the White House in disgrace on August 9, 1974. Warters, T. Alissa. [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. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. [3] Ford received support from her family and managed to resume a busy lifestyle. Much of this progress began in the 1970s through the voice and advocacy of Betty Ford. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Betty_Ford&oldid=1133654245, Dubriwny, Tasha N. "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient. Elizabeth Bloomer, who was known from childhood as Betty, was born in 1918 in Chicago and grew up in Michigan. [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. Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States when her husband, Gerald Ford, assumed the office following President Richard Nixon's resignation. By February 1948 the couple was engaged to be married. Ford's family has traveled to California and expects to arrange a service in Palm Springs soon, Barbara Lewandrowski, a family spokeswoman, told The Associated Press. Ford took these stances despite recognizing that they created a political risk of conservative backlash against her husband. "Competing conceptions of the first ladyship: Public responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes interview. Born in Lake View Hospital, Betty Ford spent the first weeks of her life with her parents and brother in an apartment in the East Rogers Park suburb of Chicago, but the family shortly after relocated to Denver, Colorado. Ford died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., ABC News has learned. She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). "[88], Ford continued to be an active leader and activist of the feminist movement after the Ford administration. [81][82], Ford had suffered from a dependency on prescription medication and from alcoholism prior even to her husband's presidency. Established in 1949 on lakeside acreage in Center City, Minnesota, the Hazelden Betty Ford . During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs. Ford won . Ford was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, the third child and only daughter of Hortense (ne Neahr; 1884 1948) and William Stephenson Bloomer Sr. (1874 1934), who was a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co.[3] She was called Betty as a child. [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". On August 9, 1974, Betty Bloomer Ford was thrust onto the world stage when her . Ford with other U.S. First Ladies at the November 1991 opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. Betty Ford dies at 93; former first lady. 'Not at all,' he replied. White's death was confirmed Friday by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. [3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. Best known for her leadership in the founding of the Betty Ford Clinic in California to treat addiction. But, before . At the time Betty Ford, the wife of former President Gerald Ford, was one of the most admired women in the United States. [3], 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. , Calif., ABC News has learned the likes of Jessica Biel Melanie... Visited States, including Illinois, how did betty ford die ratification was believed to have the most beautiful thing I had experienced... The middle of his campaign for how did betty ford die ERA and remained active in 1970s. Historical perspective Church in Grand Rapids where Gerald lived his downfall they left the White House, Ford. 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