Ford, Betty (1918-2011), was first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, when her husband, Gerald R. Ford, was president. As first lady, she became known for her support of women’s rights. Later, she became involved in efforts to help alcoholics and drug addicts.
Betty Ford’s maiden name was Elizabeth Ann Bloomer. She came to be called Betty. Betty Bloomer was born in Chicago on April 8, 1918. Her father was a salesman. The family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, when Betty was 3 years old.
As a child, Betty wanted to be a dancer and took dance lessons. After graduating from high school in 1936, she attended a dance school in Vermont. There, she worked with the famous dancer and choreographer Martha Graham and other leading people in dance. She tried out for Graham’s dance troupe in New York City and became an auxiliary member. She appeared with the troupe in the city’s famous Carnegie Hall. Betty worked as a fashion model to increase her income. She lived in New York City from 1939 to 1941. She then returned to Grand Rapids, where she organized a dance troupe and worked as a fashion coordinator in a department store.
In 1942, Betty married William Warren, a Grand Rapids salesman. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947.
Betty Bloomer and Gerald Ford met in 1947 and married on Oct. 15, 1948. They had four children. The children were, in order of birth, Michael Gerald, John Gardner, Steven Meigs, and Susan Elizabeth.
Gerald Ford became vice president of the United States in 1973 under President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon resigned from office in 1974, and Ford succeeded him as president.
About a month after Betty Ford became first lady, she learned she had breast cancer. She underwent surgery and soon resumed her busy schedule. She talked openly about her illness. The publicity generated by the first lady helped focus attention on the problem and led to an increase in the number of checkups for breast cancer nationwide.
Ford strongly supported women’s rights as first lady. She worked for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would give women and men equality by law (see Equal Rights Amendment ). She also called for greater career opportunities for women.
The Fords favored informality at White House social functions. Betty and Gerald Ford were known as relaxed, friendly hosts.
In 1964, Betty Ford had developed a painful pinched nerve in her neck. Doctors prescribed painkillers to help her, but she developed an addiction to these prescription drugs. Also in the 1960’s, she became dependent on alcohol. Ford underwent treatment for these addiction problems in 1978. In 1982, she helped found the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. The center treats people with alcohol and drug addiction problems. Ford died on July 8, 2011.
See also Ford, Gerald Rudolph .
