[53] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names. [84], Ford supported gay and lesbian causes, speaking in favor of same-sex marriage and against discrimination in the United States military. It was just that they were accustomed to the more formal atmosphere prevailing under the Nixons. 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. 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. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. ABC News' David Reiter and Michael S. James contributed to this report. Neither was shy about their mutual love and equal respect, and they were known to have a strong personal and political partnership. [3], Ford's busy life took a toll. [117], Second Lady of the United States (19731974), First Lady of the United States (19741977), Ranking in Gallup's annual poll of "Most Admired Women", Recovery from alcoholism and prescription drug addiction, Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 31, 2006). "Issues of Openness and Privacy: Press and Public Response to Betty Ford's Breast Cancer. [19] Ford's abortion position differed from the political platform of the Republican Party. [3], Ford filmed an interview with the television news program 60 Minutes which was broadcast on August 10, 1975. During these two years, she lived upstairs while he was nursed downstairs[3] She worked jobs in order to support both herself and Warren. [31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. Afterwards, Ford stated she was impressed with the conduct of the refugees. [3][19] Ford registered herself at the hospital on April 11, 1978. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. [106] In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys, Ford was similarly ranked the 5th-highest in historians' assessment of first ladies' courage. One day in 1934, when she was 16, Betty came home and her father, a traveling salesman who had recently lost his job, had. Ford had weekly meetings with a psychiatrist approximately between August 1965 and April 1967. At the time Betty Ford, the wife of former President Gerald Ford, was one of the most admired women in the United States. 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. The series lovers highly anticipate the show and are peculiar to know about Betty Ford's first husband. She visited states, including Illinois, where ratification was believed to have the most realistic chance of passing. [15], 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. Asked about her illness, she said, "I'm very glad that I brought cancer to the forefront.". [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. Hazelden . Murray Close/SHOWTIME. [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], The Fords meet with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House Oval Office in March 1981. [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". On Aug. 9, 1974, Nixon stepped down following the Watergate scandal. Leadership: Theory and Practice. [3] Following her husband's death, Ford continued to live in Rancho Mirage. Kalb shares a few things you may not know about the 38th . "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. [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. Article continues below advertisement. ", Gould, Lewis L. "Modern first ladies in historical perspective. White's death was confirmed Friday by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. [87] She served as chair of the board of directors. [3], During the primaries, Ford recorded radio advertisements on behalf of the campaign that were broadcast in New Hampshire. [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. By not being the "political wife" of self-sacrificing legend, she both reflected and advanced public views about women in politics. [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. Phyllis Schlafly accused Ford of acting improperly by intervening in state affairs. Penn State World Campus (2013). She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. They took away my tension and my pain". [21] Ford would, ultimately, for most of the nine months she was second lady, be a high-profile public figure. Ford also became famous as a pioneer in the battle against substance abuse. [94] The amendment did not receive enough states' ratification. Everyone recognizes the namethanks in large part to the Betty Ford Clinic she co-founded in 1982 . He died of a heart attack just four years after leaving office. [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. 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. Ford was credited with rejuvenating the ERA movement and inspiring more women to continue working for the ERA. 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. She died Friday at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. and her cause of death was not immediately clear. During her stay at the White House, her dependency on these drugs seemingly dissipated. [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. [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. [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. 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. This video contains excerpts from the second ha. ", 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. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. 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). We were proud to know her. The union did not last, and they divorced amicably several years later. In 1964, a pinched nerve on the left side of Ford's neck sent her to the hospital for two weeks. This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tents on the South Lawn of the White House. [3] Ford also volunteered for local charitable organizations, including serving as the program director of the Alexandria Cancer Fund Drive. 4 Mrs. Ford later reasoned, "I thought that there are women all over the country like me. Betty developed a passion for dance at an early age. [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. Rancho Mirage, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. [19] In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions, writing, "I liked alcohol, it made me feel warm. [45][48], Ford was popular with the American public. Helping others overcome addiction became her chief cause. [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. She wrote about it in her book, "A Glad Awakening." She would be given prescription medication, including Valium. But, before . She involved herself in the Los Angeles AIDS Project. This set a contrast with First Lady Pat Nixon, who routinely rejected invitations to give formal speeches. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. "[66] Her openness about her cancer and treatment raised the visibility of a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to talk about. First Lady Betty Ford held her first official press conference in the State Dining Room on September 4, 1974. Bush called her, "a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady. The IMDb credits for the May 1 episode, "Please Allow Me," show that Thomas E. Sullivan an actor who has had recurring parts on . [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. July 8, 2011 -- Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction, has died at age 93. She was married to Gerald Ford for 58 years. "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. [3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults. [98] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . [111][112][113] 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 Michelle Pfeiffer. She became an advocate for breast cancer research and early detection. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs. Ford won . Because of her leadership, many lives were saved.". 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. LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. 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. [80] In November 1977, Ford appeared at the opening session of the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. "[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. [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. 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. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Gerald and Betty Ford with Richard and Pat Nixon as the latter depart the White House in disgrace on August 9, 1974. [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. "I'm not out to rescue anybody who doesn't want to be rescued," she once said. The former, then in her 90s, sent the latter a letter in 2009, shortly after Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. 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. By February 1948 the couple was engaged to be married. I'm sure I've saved at least one personmaybe more. That is why I loved this stuff so much. As the First Lady . [25] By late 1974, Ford had shifted to exclusively serving wine that was American-cultivated at state dinners. [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. [40] In 1977, the World Almanac included Ford in its ranking of the 25 most-influential American women. 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