Betty Ford

July 12, 2011 2:38 PM

Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford--model, dancer, feminist, founder of one of the best-known substance abuse recovery centers in the world, and former First Lady of the United States--died Friday, July 8, at the age of 93.

Ford was born during World War I, and went to work at the age of 14, during the Great Depression. She studied dance under Martha Graham and briefly joined her auxiliary troupe before returning to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her first husband, William Warren, was an alcoholic, and she eventually divorced him (and would eventually become the first divorced First Lady in history). She delayed her marriage to Gerald Ford until after his election to the House of Representatives because "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer."

Ford was unprecedentedly open and candid for a First Lady about the social issues of the mid-1970s, supporting the Equal Rights Amendment both during and after her husband's administration and discussing her children's possible premarital sex and drug use, and was openly pro-choice. She also used her mastectomy to raise awareness of breast cancer. After her treatment for alcohol and painkiller addiction, she established the Betty Ford Clinic (later the Betty Ford Center) and became a leading voice in the recovery movement.

Pictures of Betty Ford; Obituary in the Grand Rapids newspaper; Current and former First Ladies to attend funeral.

posted by Halloween Jack (25 comments total)

And, because I didn't want this to be in the FPP, Westboro will be picketing the funeral.

Also, too, I would have made this post earlier except that I kept expecting someone else to. Sorry.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Halloween Jack: "Also, too, I would have made this post earlier except that I kept expecting someone else to. Sorry."

Many have tried, few have succeeded.
posted by danny the boy at 2:47 PM on July 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

"Also, too, I would have made this post earlier except that I kept expecting someone else to. Sorry."

Don't feel too bad, she's still dead.

It's a shame that Gerald didn't hew closer to Betty's views — the country would have been better for it.
posted by klangklangston at 2:50 PM on July 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

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posted by Elmore at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2011

Fitting post, well done.
posted by Elmore at 2:53 PM on July 12, 2011

Regardless of politics, everyone in recovery owes her a nod of respect for the courage she showed.

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posted by Trurl at 2:53 PM on July 12, 2011 [5 favorites]

Good post. She was ahead of the curve in a lot of ways.
posted by rtha at 2:54 PM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Westboro will be picketing the funeral.

Those trolls would have picketed Fred Rogers's funeral.

Nicely done obit post; I too am surprised it is the first one (or at least the first to stay up). She was a class act.
posted by TedW at 2:57 PM on July 12, 2011

Speaking about her breast cancer she said, "When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines. But the fact that I was the wife of the President put it in headlines and brought before the public this particular experience I was going through. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. I'm sure I've saved at least one person—maybe more."

Others said:

"Betty Ford provided critical leadership at a time when people couldn't say the words 'breast cancer' out loud," said Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. "She was one of the first breast cancer advocates without ever knowing it."

and

Betty Ford opened the door for so many women, myself included, encouraging us to deal honestly and openly with this disease at a time when breast cancer was swept under the rug. She inspired me personally to do everything I could to keep pushing that door open. She made it possible for me to understand that I was not alone, that I could be part of ending suffering from a disease that is still the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women.

posted by peeedro at 3:00 PM on July 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

Betty Ford, Pioneer by Rick Perlstein

By the way, here's a great photo of Betty Ford as a dancer for Martha Graham.

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posted by jonp72 at 3:15 PM on July 12, 2011 [4 favorites]

Betty Ford on the Mary Tyler Moore Show
posted by jonp72 at 3:20 PM on July 12, 2011

Those trolls would have picketed Fred Rogers's funeral.

Actually they did do just that.

But not to derail,

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for a classy and courageous lady. There are people very close to me who might not have gone into rehab if she hadn't killed the stigma of it.
posted by octothorpe at 3:22 PM on July 12, 2011

I refuse to believe she's gone until a failblog post tells me she is.
posted by item at 3:24 PM on July 12, 2011

Has anyone found video of her dancing with Graham troupe? I've been looking on and off for a few days now, and only see the same snippet in news stories, but nothing full-fledged.
posted by julen at 3:27 PM on July 12, 2011

It's a shame that Gerald didn't hew closer to Betty's views — the country would have been better for it.

How is it that he didn't hew closer to her views? She wasn't advising him on policy. She supported the Equal Rights Amendment. So did he. Besides, he was more liberal than the man who primaried him in 1976 (and the man who financed his primary, Jesse Helms). In any case, he'd be pilloried by today's GOP, and she'd be burned as a witch.
posted by blucevalo at 4:16 PM on July 12, 2011

Somewhere, Gerald Ford just tripped.

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posted by bwg at 4:44 PM on July 12, 2011

Cokie Roberts' father worked with Gerald Ford in congress, and in 2005 she was asked by Betty Ford to do a eulogy for her in the event of her death.

When Mrs Ford assigned me the daunting honor of speaking at her funeral, it will surprise none of you to learn that the assignment came with instructions. Mrs. Ford wanted me to remind everyone of the way things used to be in Washington. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she timed her death to make sure she could convey the message of comity this week, when it seems so badly needed.

posted by hippybear at 4:54 PM on July 12, 2011 [6 favorites]

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posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:14 PM on July 12, 2011

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posted by asciident at 6:07 PM on July 12, 2011

I guess I missed most of it, but she appears to have been shockingly rad. My wife had some interesting stuff to say.

Honestly, I think one of the best possible outcomes for a life is for people to wind up saying, "no way! Wow, that's awesome." Betty Ford achieved that.
posted by COBRA! at 6:48 PM on July 12, 2011 [4 favorites]

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posted by yellowcandy at 6:57 PM on July 12, 2011

I loved her courage to say the things no one else said publicly before her. Glad she is free to fly with the angels now.
posted by Lynsey at 10:06 PM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

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posted by clavdivs at 12:56 AM on July 13, 2011

hippybear, that is awesome and enlightening to read, thanks for sharing
posted by I am the Walrus at 6:33 AM on July 13, 2011

Gerald Ford (then v.p.) spoke at my high school graduation: their son Steven was in the class. I never had the honor of meeting Mrs. Ford, but from everything I've ever heard or read about her, I've always believed that she must have been a truly wonderful lady, and that graciousness was reflected in the behavior of her husband and son --- would a lesser person have raised a teenager that well, or been married to someone other than the mediator Mr. Ford appeared to be? I think not.

Godspeed, Mrs. Ford. Dance forever.
posted by easily confused at 9:01 AM on July 13, 2011 [2 favorites]