Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne Ford (née Bloomer; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was an American spokesperson and women's rights activist who served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. She also served as the Second Lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice president.
Betty Ford | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, August 1974 | |
| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977 | |
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Pat Nixon |
| Succeeded by | Rosalynn Carter |
| Second Lady of the United States | |
| In role December 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974 | |
| Vice President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Judy Agnew (Oct. 1973) |
| Succeeded by | Happy Rockefeller (Dec. 1974) |
| 1st Chairwoman of the Betty Ford Center | |
| In office October 4, 1982 – January 25, 2005[1] | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Susan Ford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elizabeth Anne Bloomer April 8, 1918 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 8, 2011 (aged 93) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Gerald Ford (m. 1948; died 2006) |
| Children |
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| Signature |  |
Early lifeEdit
She was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her birth name was Betty Bloomer. Her parents were Hortense Neahr and William Stephenson Bloomer. She was the third child of her parents. She had two older brothers named Robert and William, Jr. She spent her childhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduated from school there. In 1935, she graduated in dance from the Calla Travis Dance Studio. She gave dance lessons to earn money during the Great Depression.
Second Lady of the United States (1973 –1974)Edit
In October 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated her husband, Gerald Ford to serve as the vice president after his vice president resigned. On December 6, 1973, and Gerald Ford was confirmed by U.S. Congress, then assumed the office of vice president and She became the new Second Lady of the United States.
First Lady of the United States (1974 –1977)Edit
On August 9, 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned and her husband became the 38th President of the United States, and she became the new First Lady of the United States. As first lady, she had high approval ratings and was noticeable for supporting breast cancer awareness, the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion rights, feminism and equal pay.
DeathEdit
On July 8, 2011, Betty Ford died to natural causes and was buried next to her husband on July 14, 2011 at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
After being First LadyEdit
In 1987, Betty Ford found a place into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. In 1978, she published her autobiography The Times of My Life. In 1999, President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford jointly got the Congressional Gold Medal, "in recognition of their dedicated public service and outstanding humanitarian contributions to the people of the United States of America."
Personal lifeEdit
In 2003, Betty Ford published Healing and Hope: Six Women from the Betty Ford Center Share Their Powerful Journeys of Addiction and Recovery.
She was the active Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Betty Ford Center, until 2005, when she gave that position to her daughter, Susan.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ "Susan Ford - C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org.