We all know the name of Betty Ford and her work to help those with addiction problems. But I had no idea the real story behind the celebrity of the Betty Ford Clinic, the personal pain and struggle that encompassed Betty’s life. Thrust into the spotlight during one of our nation’s most difficult times, her candor and openness was the balm the country needed after Watergate.
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Elizabeth “Betty” Anne Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918 in a Chicago hospital as the third child and only daughter of Hortense and William Bloomer. When she was a few months old, the family moved to Denver, Colorado for William’s job as a sales manager for Republic Rubber Corp. The family was well-off and even had a live-in maid, but when William lost that job, they moved back to Chicago and then settled near family in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Bloomer family spent their summers at Whitefish Lake where Betty loved chasing after her older brothers and spending time at picnics with the other summer families. She loved visiting the other picnics so much that her mother had to hang a sign around her neck that said, “Do not feed this child!”
Betty had a happy, sunny personality and was close to her mother who doted on her and made sure she learned proper, ladylike manners. Betty loved her father dearly and hated that he traveled so much for work.
At the age of eight, Betty’s mother enrolled her in local dance lessons, which changed the trajectory of Betty’s life. She fell in love with movement instantly and was soon taking as many lessons as she could.
“I signed up for everything. I adored it all. Dance was my happiness.” Betty Ford
Her mother was in the Junior League, and Betty went with her on charitable outings, teaching children to dance. Dance brightened her life, which helped as the Great Depression began and her family no longer could afford to go to the lake. They always had food on the table and weren’t as bad off as many, but it affected them, especially her father’s job prospects.
Betty put herself to work to earn extra money, opening her own dance school in a friend’s basement when she was only fourteen. She also worked as a clothing model for a department store. She was pretty and popular at the local high school, dating and attending University of Michigan football games to see the hometown hero quarterback, Gerald Ford.
A Change of Plans
Her idyllic life ended in July of 1934 when her father killed himself after losing his job. She learned that her father had likely been an alcoholic as well. At only sixteen, Betty and her mother went to work, Betty as an instructor at her dance school and her mother as a real estate agent. When Betty graduated from high school, she became a full-time employee of the dance school.
She was sent to the prestigious Bennington School of Dance in Vermont for a summer program in modern dance and loved it. Upon her return to Grand Rapids, she continued her work at her dance school while hoping to eventually make it to New York City. After another summer stint at Bennington, Betty applied to Martha Graham’s New York school and got in. Betty was headed to the big city.
Betty and a friend rented an apartment in NYC, and she got a job as a model to make ends meet. She loved dancing but also liked going out and having fun in the city. She wound up in the auxiliary dance group, so when her mother remarried and wanted her to come home, she did. She took her job back at the dance school and started a dance group that performed for charity galas.
“Betty was the Martha Graham of Grand Rapids.” Grand Rapids friend
Betty was always fun and popular and was soon engaged, but she quickly realized it was a mistake. She adored new stepfather and helped her mother ready her childhood home for sale. She moved into the house with her mother and stepfather and started dating an old high school boyfriend. Even though her parents didn’t like him, they agreed when she insisted on getting married.
First Marriage
Betty married William Warren on May 23, 1942 in her home’s living room. He had been working in insurance with his father, but upon the marriage, he changed jobs and they moved to Ohio. Betty had to give up her job but found a new position as a model in a local department store. They were only in Ohio for ten months before they moved back to Grand Rapids.
They weren’t home long before he hauled them off to Syracuse, New York where Betty worked in a Birds Eye Frozen Food processing plant. When he lost that job too, they moved back to Grand Rapids where he got a job that had him traveling constantly. At least Betty could stay put and go back to working at the dance school.
Betty filled her days with dance classes and modeling and her nights with charitable work through the Junior League. William was often drunk when he was home, devastating Betty who realized she had married someone just like her own father. Her dreams of a family and children were dashed. In 1945, Betty decided to leave William but that very same night, he had a stroke so she stayed for an additional two years, nursing him back to health. As soon as he was able to be on his own, she divorced him which was brave considering divorce was still taboo in most circles.
Second Marriage
Almost immediately after filing for divorce, Betty was set up on a date with the hometown hero she had watched on the football field so many years ago, Gerald Ford. Jerry had been through tough times as well as he served in WWII and dealt with a painful breakup. He was 35 and she was 30 when they decided to get married. They had to put the wedding off until the fall of 1948 because he was running for Congress. He spent all his time campaigning, but it was worth it when he won the primary.
Jerry and Betty married on October 15, 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids.
She wore a two-piece blue satin suit with a fitted jacket and hat. The only hiccup was that he was late! Their honeymoon was spent watching the Michigan-Northwestern football game the next day and attending a Republican rally. When Jerry won his election on November 2nd, the couple headed to Washington, DC. Betty was unreachable for a few days as she traveled so a message from her stepfather didn’t reach her in time as her mother had become deathly sick. She died on November 18th, and Betty was devastated that she didn’t get to say goodbye.
“I believe there’s a meaning for everyone’s coming into this world, that we’re put here for a purpose and when we’ve achieved that and it’s time for us to go, the Lord takes us, and nothing can make it otherwise.” Betty Ford
Washington Wife
Jerry was sworn in on January 3, 1949, and the newly married couple moved into an apartment. Betty knew she needed to learn about politics, so she watched Supreme Court and Congressional debates and helped out in Jerry’s office on the weekend. She became friends with other Congressional wives like Pat Nixon and Lady Bird Johnson, attending parties and enjoying the camaraderie.
Her dreams of becoming a mother finally came true on March 14, 1950 when she gave birth to her first son, Michael Gerald Ford. He was followed by John Gardner Ford in March of 1952. The Fords had a maid/nanny, Clara, who became part of their family and helped raise the children, especially as Betty became active in the Congressional wives club.
They moved into a townhome at Parkfairfax before building a home on Crown View Drive in Alexandria, Virginia. They had their third son on May 19, 1956, Steven Meigs Ford, and finally a daughter, Susan, on July 6, 1957. The Ford family was complete.
While Jerry’s career was soaring, Betty was struggling. She was depressed after Steve’s birth, so she and Jerry took their first vacation of the marriage, a three week trip through Europe (coming home pregnant with Susan!).
“Being a housewife seems to me a much tougher job than going to the office and getting paid for it.” Betty Ford
Congressional Wife
Betty poured herself into her children and volunteered with the Congressional Club. She also helped out with Jerry’s office, taking constituents on tours of historical sites like Mount Vernon. She was pretty and stylish, capturing the attention of Ladies Home Journal who ran a piece on how she came up with her wardrobe on a budget (Jackie Kennedy appeared on the cover!). She loved attending events like the state dinner held at Mount Vernon and was close friends with the Johnsons and the Nixons.
The Ford household was chaotic with four rambunctious children. There were weekly ER trips for the boys, dance lessons for Susan, and pets galore, including an alligator who ended up freezing to death! Jerry was gone often for work, so when he was in town on a weekend, he would take the children to the Capitol to give Betty some peace. They played hide-and-go seek in Statuary Hall and typed notes to Betty on his office typewriters.
It was hard for Betty to be both mother and father when Jerry wasn’t around, and she began to cope by drinking at night. She had a pinched nerve in her neck that became so painful, doctors prescribed painkillers. The combination of pills and alcohol took Betty down a dark hole of addiction. Only Clara realized how dependent she was on them.
Jerry became minority leader on January 4, 1965 which meant that he was gone even more. She was left behind, and her self-esteem and self-worth declined. She had a mini-breakdown and started going to therapy, but she didn’t stop drinking or taking the painkillers.
“I’d been too busy trying to figure out everyone else’s needs that I’d had no time for Betty.” Betty Ford
Betty hid her addictions well as she traveled with Jerry and the Nixon administration to China. The two older boys left home for college and career, and Susan eventually was sent to a local boarding school for her safety as Jerry’s star was rising. Even so, Jerry promised Betty that when President Nixon’s term was over, he wouldn’t run for reelection.
Second Lady
On October 10, 1973, Nixon’s vice president Spiro Agnew resigned. The White House called Jerry to ask him if he would consider stepping in as vice-president. Even though he said yes, they still didn’t think he would be chosen, so much so that Betty bet against Susan that he wouldn’t be asked. She was proven wrong.
When Nixon asked Jerry to be his vice president and come to the White House for the announcement, Betty was rushed to the Executive Mansion with him. She was dazed as things moved so fast and she found herself beside Pat Nixon as the announcement was made. She held the Bible as Jerry took the oath of office, and they kissed on the lips upon his completion. She was now the Second Lady.
“For standing by my side, as she always has, there are no words to tell you, my dear wife and mother of our four wonderful children, how much their being here means to me.” Gerald Ford upon taking the role of vice president
Her life changed immediately. Their garage was converted into the Secret Service’s command post and they had to park their cars on the street. She wrote a letter to all their neighbors apologizing for the inconvenience.
Betty was inundated with requests and invitations – over 500 in one week – and had to get some office help. She had no press training but handled reporters’ questions with candor and honesty. When Barbara Walters asked her a political question about abortion, she told her opinion even if it was different from her husband’s position. She was a different politician’s wife!
“I like to think of myself as a feminist although I haven’t joined any women’s lib organizations.” Betty Ford
Her respite from the intense Washington world was their condo in Vail where they spent their Christmases. She loved decorating and making it special for the kids and their friends.
She also traveled as Second Lady, including a trip to Georgia where she stayed with the governor and first lady, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. While there, she loved mingling and talking with guests, but the next day, she was so slow and sluggish that Mrs. Carter worried. Even the reporters covering the art train she was promoting noticed, and asked Betty about it. She told them she was on painkillers for neck pain, shocking them and the American public.
“I’m candid. I wouldn’t deny it. I do take tranquilizers. People just don’t understand they are for my neck.” Betty Ford
The Fords worried that news about Betty’s first marriage would cause a scandal, so they headed it off by opening up about it first. Betty always thought direct honesty was the best policy.
The vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory was almost ready, and Betty enjoyed picking out furnishings for it. However she never got to live there. Watergate had blown up and President Nixon told Jerry that he was going to resign. On August 9, 1974, Betty was at the White House for President Nixon’s final speech. She and Jerry walked Richard and Pat out to the waiting helicopter.
Jerry then took the oath of office in the East Room. She would call this the saddest day of her life.
“The words cut through me, pinned me to the floor.” Betty Ford
First Lady
“I am an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time.” Betty Ford
Betty Ford was now First Lady. She didn’t have any time to ramp up to the job as she had to throw a state dinner for the king and queen of Jordan just days after taking office.
They couldn’t even move into the White House for ten days, so during that time, the First Family lived in their home in Alexandria with Jerry commuting to the Oval Office. She had to hire staff and supervise their move to White House, a gargantuan task.
Betty held a press conference on September 4, 1974, the first full-scale press conference held by a president’s wife. The reporters asked her all kinds of political questions, and she surprised them with her candid warmth. She was relatable, personable, and almost too open.
“In the beginning, it was like going to a party you’re terrified of, and finding out to your amazement that you’re having a good time. You never know what you can do until you have to do it.” Betty Ford
She preferred working out of the residence, often remaining in her bathrobe until mid-day. She hired Nancy, a secretary who became a friend, and they worked well together. When Nancy was going to her doctor for a checkup in September, Betty decided to tag along. It would save her life.
The doctor examined Betty and found a lump in her breast. He didn’t tell Betty but called the White House physician to break the news. The doctor told Betty that it was likely to be cancer (after first telling sixteen-year-old Susan!), and if it was cancer while she was undergoing the biopsy, she would have an immediate mastectomy.
Betty and Jerry were in shock. Just six weeks into his surprise presidency, the First Lady underwent surgery. Betty was adamant that the public know, so just hours after she checked into the hospital (after entertaining the unsuspecting Johnsons that day), she put out a statement (click here to read it). By being so open about a taboo topic, she saved many women’s lives including the wife of Vice President Rockefeller who also underwent a mastectomy.
“I just feel like there are other women out there going through the same thing, and they’re scared, and here I am getting the best medical care in the world. I have an obligation. I need to talk about this.” Betty Ford
The tumor was malignant and had spread to several lymph nodes, so Betty had to take chemo pills. She stayed upbeat and strong as she remained in the hospital for a week while Susan filled in as White House hostess.
She put the cancer behind her and continued her work in the White House, even going public with her support for the Equal Rights Amendment working its way through the states. She was devastated by the fall of Vietnam in 1975 and went with Jerry to see the thousands of orphaned children brought to America. However, since she was undergoing chemo, she couldn’t hug them which killed her.
She took her first overseas trip as First Lady in May of 1975, visiting Belgium, Spain, Austria, and Italy with Jerry. While they were gone, Susan held her high school prom at the White House!
Betty was a reluctant First Lady but realized she loved the job. She supported Jerry as he ran for a full term in 1976. She gave an interview to Morley Safer at 60 Minutes where her candor on taboo topics like marijuana use and living together before marriage was picked apart by the press. Her popularity rebounded when she sent letters to people who were upset.
“Dear Morley, If there are any questions you forgot to ask – I’m grateful. Sincerely, Betty Ford”
The only downside of her time in the White House was the constant worry about Jerry’s life. With two failed assassination attempts, she would always go on the Truman balcony to wave goodbye as he left. She continued to be outspoken on issues that mattered to her, speaking at an international women’s year conference and supporting the ERA.
“Being ladylike does not require silence.” Betty Ford
The Fords remained a close-knit family even amidst the White House craziness.
Photos courtesy of Library of Congress and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
In December of 1975, she went to China with Jerry where she danced with Chinese students and opened diplomatic circles.
She hosted Queen Elizabeth for a state dinner (where the band accidentally played “The Lady is a Tramp” when the queen danced with Jerry!).
Photos courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
There were lots of activities for the bicentennial in 1976, and Betty loved every moment. She also loved decorating the White House for Christmas but loved escaping to her beloved Vail.
Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress
She still dealt with severe neck pain and began having mood swings affected by her medication. She slurred her speech and made mistakes like not remembering her lines for an appearance on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Her press secretary and a nurse confronted her doctor who dismissed them.
Even with the medical issues mounting, Betty crisscrossed the country to support Jerry’s campaign. He won the Republican nomination but lost the election to Jimmy Carter. Betty had to deliver his concession speech because he lost his voice.
Photos courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
They packed up their things, and on her last day in the White House, Betty danced on the cabinet table.
Post-White House
The Fords moved to Rancho Mirage, California where they built a home on a golf course. It was a very isolating life, and Betty was lonely, especially with Jerry traveling to give speeches. She traveled with him to NYC, and the couple was offered a joint publishing contract, the first time a president and first lady had a two-book deal on the same level. While in NYC, she fell in love with the Broadway musical, A Chorus Line.
She was still in terrible pain and wanted to explore surgery but found out that her issue was inoperable. Others began noticing her slurred speech and slowness from the pills that she took to cope with the pain. Invitations stopped coming, and even when she did get out, like when she narrated The Nutcracker for television, it was a disaster. It was hard to ignore her downward spiral.
Susan, a doctor, and Betty’s assistant staged a mini-intervention, but it didn’t work. They brought the boys and Jerry into it and soon had major intervention with the entire family. Betty agreed to treatment.
“When they confront you with that kind of evidence, you have to be a real dummy not to realize you’re in trouble.” Betty Ford
She had horrible withdrawals and turned to her faith to get her through them. She went to an in-patient treatment facility at a naval hospital where she had to detox and admit she was an alcoholic. She didn’t hold back from telling the public and even added a chapter to her soon-to-be-released autobiography.
“Betty Ford has earned the admiration of our nation for her courage and complete candor. She is the most popular person in our country today.” Newspaper coverage of her announcement
In recovery, she visited the Middle East with Jerry and helped Susan plan a wedding to her Secret Service agent-boyfriend. Her most recognized achievement was her partnership with her neighbor to create a treatment center, now known as the Betty Ford Center. Betty became the face of alcohol and drug addiction.
She was relieved when Jerry decided not to run for president in 1980. She continued her fight for the ERA and teamed up with Rosalynn Carter to fight for mental health issues. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George H.W. Bush and the Congressional Gold Medal from Bill Clinton for her work in addiction.
Both Jerry and Betty began having health issues, so they had to give up going to their beloved Colorado home. Jerry died on Dec. 26, 2006, and Betty made it through the grueling funeral in a weakened state.
For the next 4.5 years, she slept with his folded American flag from his casket by her side every night. Betty Ford died on July 8, 2011.
Legacy
Betty Ford’s legacy looms large through her advocacy for addiction and breast cancer. She was the first First Lady to deal with a cancer diagnosis publicly. It’s amazing to think that within six weeks, she went from the Second Lady to the First Lady and was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. What a whirlwind. American women have much to give thanks for as Betty removed the stigma from breast cancer and made her survival something to celebrate rather than hide.
The same is true for her candor about drug and alcohol addiction. Often seen as something to be ashamed of, Betty faced her issues headfirst and didn’t shy away from sharing the details to help others. She was honest and open which paved the way for thousands of Americans to do the same. If Betty could do it, they could too.
She is a First Lady that left her mark!
My Time with Betty
I really liked learning about Betty this month. She was an easy woman to know and like, and I especially appreciated her openness with the public about her health challenges, I felt a kinship with her as I, too, have undergone a health issue this past year and found it difficult to tell people. I can’t imagine having to shout the news to the whole world as First Lady! Betty handled it with grace and candor, endearing herself to the American people and to me.
I also loved learning about her dance career. As a fan of dance myself, I know how important it can be to feed someone’s soul. Betty had such a gift, and I enjoyed seeing her use it throughout her whole life.
Betty was also our first First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt who was a member of the Junior League. As a League member myself, I loved reading about her work in the community. It is such a special organization.
Betty Ford was an original – unlike any First Lady we had before or since!
Travels with Betty
Betty spent most of her life in the Washington, DC area, but she was always a Michigan girl at heart.
Michigan
717 and 636 Fountain Street, Grand Rapids
Betty’s childhood homes are private and not open to the public.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum (Museum is in Grand Rapids; Library is in Ann Arbor)
Visit memorabilia from Betty’s life including the White House years at President Ford’s official museum. There is even a statue of Betty on its grounds! Betty and Jerry are buried at the museum,
Virginia
514 Crown View Drive, Alexandria
This unassuming home was the Fords’ home for decades and even served as the temporary president’s home when Jerry became president!
To Learn More
Books to Read:
There are no fiction novels about Betty, but you can read multiple books written by her.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction:
Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer by Lisa McCubbin Hill
This excellent and highly readable biography tells Betty’s story in a propulsive way. You won’t want to put it down!
The Times of My Life by Betty Ford
Betty is honest and open (and funny!) in this heartwarming autobiography.
Betty: A Glad Awakening by Betty Ford
Another autobiography, this one details her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.
TV Shows/Movies
C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence and Image
Podcasts
The White House 1600 Sessions Podcast “Home Again with Susan Ford Bales”
The Past, the Promise, the Presidency, season 3, episode 4: Women’s Suffrage and the ERA
Websites
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
The White House Historical Association
- Ornament: The Ford Christmas ornament is adorned with special Christmas decorations they used in the White House and items from their personal history.
Betty Ford was an original and brought a realness to the office of First Lady. Her candor and honesty was needed to restore the trust of the American people and helped the country heal after the Watergate scandal. She is one of the most impactful First Ladies!
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