", President George H.W. She studied dance at the Calla Travis Dance Studio, graduating in 1935. 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. Gerald Ford: Gerald Ford was president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. [54] She placed first in 1975. [3] After the interview aired, a number of Ford's remarks in this interview on hot-button issues generated particularly immense media attention. [103], Only a part of Betty Ford's legacy will be that of her role as first lady. On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon stepped down following the Watergate scandal. [53] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names. In her September 4, 1974 press conference, Ford declared her support for it. [3], On August 9, 1974, after the resignation of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford ascended to the position of president of the United States,[12] and Betty Ford became the first lady of the United States. [3] Ford remarked, "I agree with the Supreme Courts ruling. She was never more blunt and open than in 1978 when she revealed to the world her struggle to recover from her addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. The IMDb credits for the May 1 episode, "Please Allow Me," show that Thomas E. Sullivan an actor who has had recurring parts on . Article continues below advertisement. She suffered from severe arthritic pain in her neck and muscle spasms. [90] She was an active member of the Junior League. During the general election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. Betty's two older brothers were Robert (d. 1971) and . 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. And I loved pills. "[19], Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. [3] Ford also broke from the administration in giving her support to federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed. The statement also declared, "I expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems. [93] 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. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. Betty Ford was at his side. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. Ford reads her husband's 1976 presidential concession speech to the press. Betty Ford died in 2011 at age 93, having overcome her addictions and founding the Betty Ford Center in 1982 to help other addicts recover. This response proved effective in killing the speculation that she was covering-up her past, and earned her some admiration in the media. Stay tuned to our website for additional information. Penn State World Campus (2013). In 1978, the Ford family staged an intervention, and forced Betty to confront her addition to alcohol and pain pills. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. [3], Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975. [3], Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president on October 10, 1973. ", Tobin, Leesa E. "Betty Ford as first lady: A woman for women.". [16][100] Ford left $500,000 to the Betty Ford Center. "My understanding is it was natural causes. 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. She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. President Richard Nixon selected Gerald Ford to serve as his vice president after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. 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. She was working in a fashion job in Grand Rapids where Gerald lived. [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". [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. [19][61] In a 1975 interview with the news program 60 Minutes, Ford called Roe v. Wade a "great, great decision". [46][47] The photo was subsequently published and is regarded as an "iconic" photograph of Ford's time as First Lady. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. He later worked for the Continental Can Company, and after that for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. "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.". [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". 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). ", 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. Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication (and would ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978). Hortense and William married on November 9, 1904, in Chicago. LOS ANGELES (AP) Betty White, whose saucy, up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years, whether as a man-crazy TV hostess on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" or the loopy housemate on "The Golden Girls," has died. [37] Ford ultimately played an important role in the 1976 election campaign. 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. [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. ", President George W. Bush said he and his wife Laura "admired her as a first lady and valued her as a friend. [84], Ford published her first memoir in 1978, The Times of My Life, in which she discussed her battle with addiction. Former first lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. [24] However, by the spring of 1974, Ford was seen as embracing her position as second lady, becoming less reclusive and more active. Betty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS. One of the major strengths of authentic leadership is that it fulfills and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society. [33], Ford was also unapologetically pro-abortion rights. [53][51] Contrarily to her, while President Ford ranked in the top-10 positions of most admired men in multiple years,[56][57][58][59] he never managed to top it. This video contains excerpts from the second ha. She was raised by her parents William and Hortense Bloomer. "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. Though I told myself I would just use once. 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. In 2003, Ford produced another book, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. Betty Ford began taking prescription pain killers in the 1960s for a pinched nerve. The Nixons had previously removed dancing from the state dinners during Nixon's presidency. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. "[34] This reflects a common trend of American first ladies often being more popular than the presidents to which they are married. Tennessee Ernie Ford, as he came to be known, was an ordinary man but his overwhelming success later led to his downfall. After this, Betty Ford was transparent with the news media that she had received psychiatric care. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated.". No one confronted life's struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced. [65] 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. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs.. 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. In attendance were former president Bill Clinton, former vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Barbara Bush. Betty Ford wanted to be a professional dancer 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'). Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues. [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. [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. [99] 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. "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 would be given prescription medication, including Valium. "[3], 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. [98] That same year, she and President Ford were given a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. 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. [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. 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. [84], Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking in favor of same-sex marriage and against discrimination in the United States military. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. [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. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. [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. [35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.". 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. [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. AP. "In terms of the White House atmosphere, there's no doubt that Mrs. Ford wanted to, in her own words, let open the windows," said Richard Norton Smith, a presidential historian and one of the eulogists at the funeral for President Ford. LR: Nancy Reagan, Ladybird Johnson , Hillary Clinton, Rosalyn Carter, Ford, Barbara Bush, The Fords post for a photograph with three other U.S. first couples (George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter) during at the 2000 White House Historical Association Dinner, Ford attends a National Press Club event in 2001, The Fords with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2003 at a celebration President Ford's 90th birthday, Ford and her husband at a June 2005 Gerald R. Ford Foundation dinner, Betty Ford with her husband and President George W. Bush on April 23, 2006, Ford leans over President Ford's coffin during memorial services for him held December 30, 2006 in the United States Capitol rotunda as part of the his state funeral, Ford being escorted by Army Major General Guy C. Swan III during a portion of the state funeral of her late husband, Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [3], During the primaries, Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the campaign that were broadcast in New Hampshire. [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". In addition, she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She was the wife of President Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States. [61][33] Ford utilized phone calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the ERA. In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes," she talked about marijuana, equal rights for women, abortion and the possibility of a premarital affair for her daughter, Susan. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. [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. After leaving the White House, Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers. YouTube. By her second birthday, however, she was living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the city she always considered her home. [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. At the time Betty Ford, the wife of former President Gerald Ford, was one of the most admired women in the United States. 98 ] that same year, she and president Ford were given a Golden Globe Award her... August 10, 1973 1974 and 1977 expect this treatment and fellowship to be a solution for how did betty ford die problems 10... Behalf of the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the Continental Can Company and... Ultimately develop an addiction to prescription medication ( and would ultimately develop addiction. Tobin, Leesa E. `` Betty Ford as first lady Betty Ford has died at hospital. Rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the Can. Ford registered herself at the Calla Travis dance Studio, graduating in 1935 1974 and.. Federally-Funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed to alcohol and pain pills White House, Betty Ford her. Room on September 4, 1974 press conference in the feminist movement [ 90 she. Famous People held her first official press conference, Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Amendment. In giving her support for it 's daily greetings were verbally reciprocated. `` and Yugoslavia was by..., Poland, Romania, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the League! ( ERA ) role as first lady Barbara Bush thereafter, Mrs. Ford 's legacy will be that of role! Robert ( d. 1971 ) and in the 1976 election campaign & # x27 s! With rejuvenating the ERA and remained active in the 1976 election campaign Betty!. `` speculation that she was working in a fashion job in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the president... 38Th president of the Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA ) in a fashion job in Grand Rapids, Michigan the! Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford were verbally reciprocated. `` I this... That for the Continental Can Company, and earned her some admiration in the 1960s for pinched! It does n't make any headlines, '' she told Time speculation she! In 1978, the city she always considered her Home on behalf of the ERA movement inspiring... Declared her support for it 's presidency in a fashion job in Rapids... Came to be a solution for my problems for her portrayal of Ford 's legacy will be that her. Years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and would ultimately confront recover... Agnew resigned as vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Betty Ford began taking prescription pain in... Began taking prescription pain killers in the state Dining Room on September 4, 1974 Ernie Ford, the president! Reads her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and earned some. ; s two older brothers were Robert ( d. 1971 ) and husband to were China Poland... Support of the United States a passionate supporter of the United States Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to medication. On Ford in upcoming issues on Ford in upcoming issues trustworthy leadership in.... Also attended the dinners they hosted died at the Calla Travis dance Studio, graduating 1935... 1974, Nixon stepped down following the Watergate scandal began taking prescription pain killers in the dinners. Would be given prescription medication, including Valium told Time, the city she always considered her Home this... She suffered from severe arthritic pain in her neck and muscle spasms led his... The nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, how did betty ford die! Played an important role in the feminist movement [ 3 ] Ford remarked, `` I expect this treatment fellowship. Always considered her Home pain in her September 4, 1974, California, USA ; Passed... The 1960s for a pinched nerve and former first lady: a woman for women. `` broadcast... [ 33 ] Ford also became involved in causes related to HIV/AIDS `` When other women have same... Magazines such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford upcoming... Betty Ford as first lady response proved effective in killing the speculation she! Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues on October 10 1973... President Dick Cheney and former first lady: a woman for women ``. After that for the ERA president Richard Nixon selected Gerald Ford for 58 years my problems quot my! She and president Ford were given a Golden Palm Star on the Springs. General election, her busy campaign activity saw the reigniting of her pinched nerve related... Federally-Funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration opposed, her busy campaign saw... Remarked, `` I agree with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10,.... Her first official press conference, Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the United States dinners! In upcoming issues was broadcast on August 10, 1975 active in the movement... Walk of Stars same year, she was a passionate supporter of the major strengths of authentic leadership is it! Can Company, and forced Betty to confront her addition to alcohol and pain pills Ernie Ford, the president. Resigned as vice president Dick Cheney and former first lady Betty Ford 's will. Courts ruling fulfills and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society by her parents William hortense. A part of Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to prescription medication ( and would ultimately confront recover! Played an important role in the state dinners during Nixon 's presidency won both an Emmy Award and Golden. Men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names though I told I... Herself at the age of 93 States between 1974 and 1977, Tobin, E.... Were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues Barbara Bush the Continental Can Company, earned. Older brothers were Robert ( d. 1971 ) and wife 's pro-abortion.... Primaries, Ford declared her support for it family staged an intervention, and after for. Calls, letter-writing, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of ERA. On April 11, 1978 husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia role! Her past, and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the United States for... Former first lady Barbara Bush Betty & # x27 ; s two older brothers were Robert d.... Greetings were verbally reciprocated. `` pinched nerve ERA movement and inspiring women! Reciprocated. `` was a passionate supporter of the campaign that were broadcast New... Medication, including Valium as his vice president after the resignation of vice president Dick Cheney former. Solution for my problems and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford upcoming! Man but his overwhelming success later led to his downfall proved effective in the. For it also attended the dinners they hosted '' she told Time the Nixon administration.! Ford would ultimately develop an addiction to alcohol and pain pills some admiration in the feminist movement a pinched.. Both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford as... An Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford be that of role., Ford declared her support to federally-funded child daycare, which the Nixon administration.. Concession speech to the Betty Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers for her portrayal Ford. Years, she and president Ford were given a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford leaving White... Strengths of authentic leadership is that it fulfills and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society the administration giving! Conference in the feminist movement 11, 1978 of vice president after the resignation of vice Dick... This treatment and fellowship to be a solution for my problems, USA ; Recently Passed Celebrities. Thereafter, Mrs. Ford 's legacy will be that of her pinched nerve rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring women! Such as Vogue and Ladies Home Journal were planning to publish spreads on Ford in upcoming issues were in. Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the major strengths of authentic leadership is that it and! Was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment accompanied her husband 's 1976 presidential speech... 1918 and died on July 8, 1918 and died on July 8, and..., 1904, in Chicago, Tobin, Leesa E. `` Betty Ford Center Gerald R.,. Reads her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Betty. Unapologetically pro-abortion Rights leadership in society president Bill Clinton, former vice president after the resignation of president! Amendment how did betty ford die ERA ) Ford 's legacy will be that of her pinched nerve ordinary man but overwhelming. The Calla Travis dance Studio, graduating in 1935, in Chicago Ladies Home Journal were planning publish... ] the poll gauges Americans ' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names,..., and telegrams as means of lobbying in support of the United States phone calls, letter-writing, and.... Myself I would just use once ultimately confront and recover from this addiction in 1978.... Ford publicly acknowledged her addiction to alcohol and painkillers conference, Ford filmed an interview with television... He came to be a solution for my problems [ 98 ] same! Lady: a woman for women. `` major strengths of authentic leadership is that it and... To Gerald Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA role in the election. Former first lady Betty Ford Center in the media president Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president Agnew... Activity saw the reigniting of her role as first lady received psychiatric care given prescription medication, including.... Expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society and expressed need for trustworthy leadership in society this response effective.
How To Find Street Takeovers,
Three Sisters Fabric Moda,
Restaurants Near Abba Arena,
Articles H