She regularly drove her children around to their activities, such as her sons' Little League Baseball games and her daughter's dance classes. Betty Ford was known as a vivacious activist for women's rights. In the 1950s Bette Ford turned heads and raised eyebrows when she became a model-actress-bullfighter. Since she passed, fans have wondered what Betty White's cause of death was and how she died three weeks before her 100th birthday. Thats the way I feel. YouTube Betty White showing off her aquarium. [19] Ford said, during her husband's failed 1976 presidential campaign, "I would give my life to have Jerry have my poll numbers. 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. The Fords' unlikely rise to first family started in 1973, just as they were planning on retiring from Congress. [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. 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. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. [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. 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 addition, she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). "[7], 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). President Obama noted how Betty Ford "distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. ", Gregory Knight, Myra. With Betty Ford you had a progressive woman . Her candor in talking about and dealing with substance abuse and treatment helped led to an improvement in how Americans talk about such matters. [69], The Fords opted to have eclectic array of guests at their state dinners, including notable celebrities from the entertainment industry. 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. [19] Ford's abortion position differed from the political platform of the Republican Party. [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". [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". The IMDb credits for the May 1 episode, "Please Allow Me," show that Thomas E. Sullivan an actor who has had recurring parts on . In public, she was one of the most visible and outspoken first ladies in history. It was just that they were accustomed to the more formal atmosphere prevailing under the Nixons. Bette Ford came to New York City from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA, with big dreams . LOS ANGELES, California -- Actress Betty White passed away in her sleep on Friday, her agent has confirmed to ABC News. "Did they dislike her? Where did Betty Ford die? She decided to establish the Betty Ford Center with gender specific treatment for men and women (Northouse, 2013) Northouse, P. G. (2013). Bush. We were proud to call her a friend.". In 2005, Ford relinquished her chair of the center's board of directors to her daughter Susan. 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. Actress Betty White died after suffering a stroke six days prior, according to her death certificate. [53] In 1977, the year her husband left office, she placed fourth. [25], 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 errected 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 Kjun down the Cross Hall towards the East Room during an October 1975 state dinner honoring the Japanese royals, Ford accompanied her husband abroad on several diplomatic trips. Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford all smoked cigarettes but were never photographed doing so. [98] That same year, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her and her husband. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. The union did not last, and they divorced amicably several years later. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Mrs.. Gena Rowlands won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Ford. [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. Betty Ford (1918-2011) was the wife of Gerald Ford, who was the 38th president of the United States between 1974 and 1977. A month after moving into the White House, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Bush called her, "a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. In private, she triumphed over serious personal adversity. During her life she helped change the way Americans think and talk about breast cancer, women's rights and substance abuse. She paused her divorce, and supported him, living at Warren's family's home for the next two years as his health recovered. [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. Because of her leadership, many lives were saved.". [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). ", Tasha N. Dubriwny, "Constructing breast cancer in the news: Betty Ford and the evolution of the breast cancer patient.". 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. 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. 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. 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. ", President George H.W. "[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. What many don't know is that she was also a talented modern dancer. [33], Ford was also unapologetically pro-abortion rights. [3] President Ford died, aged 93, of heart failure on December 26, 2006, at their Rancho Mirage home. Shortly after becoming president in 1974, Ford said, "I am indebted to no man and to only one woman, my dear wife.". Betty Ford may be the most famous and least known First Lady in history. She was raised by her parents William and Hortense Bloomer. Ford would become the 38th president of the United States. Ford's failure to conduct a solo trip is not all that extraordinary, however. Betty Ford, the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, died at the age of 93. Betty Ford was born on April 8, 1918 and died on July 8, 2011. YouTube. [116] She also received that year's "Commitment to Life Award" from the Los Angeles AIDS Project. Betty White's cause of death has been revealed.. [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], 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. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. 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."[64]. Shortly after leaving the White House in 1977, at a time when alcoholism was considered a shameful topic which should never be discussed or even mentioned, the Ford family held . After leaving the White House, Mrs. Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment. At 8:49 p.m. local time, President Ford's wife of 58 years, Betty Ford, issued a statement that confirmed his death: "My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather . Ford succeeded in getting sober. "First Ladies and the Cultural Everywoman Ideal: Gender Performance and Representation. The Betty Ford Center board endorsed the merger Tuesday. The former, then in her 90s, sent the latter a letter in 2009, shortly after Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. She involved herself in the Los Angeles AIDS Project. Her coverage minimized the complexity of breast cancer as a disease and ignored the debates surrounding best treatment practices. [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. As first lady, Betty Ford was active in social policy and shattered precedents as a politically active presidential wife (Time considered her "the most since Eleanor [Roosevelt . Betty Ford, whose husband, Gerald, died in December 2006, had undergone surgery for an undisclosed ailment in April 2007. 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". [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. [3][5], In 1942, Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren,[5][4] whom she had known since she was 12. [25] The first of these came only a week into Ford's presidency, hosting King Hussein of Jordan on August 16, 1974. Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. 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. Through the work she did at the Betty Ford Center, Ford recognized the link between drug abuse and AIDS. July 8, 2011 Mrs. Betty Ford passes away at 93 years of age. [12] Ford felt an obligation to attend her husband's testimony at his confirmation hearings. However, not everything Ford did as first lady broke tradition. In 2003, Ford produced another book, Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery. The cause of Betty Ford's death was never disclosed. Betty Ford was at his side. [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". Married and divorced in her 20s, in 1947 her life changed forever when she met Gerald R. Ford. [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. [11] She had, three years into the marriage, concluded that their relationship was a failure. "[19], Ford avidly supported the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. 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