Betty Ford

Betty Ford (1918-2011) was an American first lady (1974-77) and the wife of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States. Ford realized the power of her position as first lady early on, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her husband took office. Her public disclosure of a previously taboo subject encouraged thousands of women to seek medical treatment. Ford continued to speak openly on a number of social and political issues, for which she received both criticism and praise. In 1982, after overcoming her own dependence on alcohol and prescription pills, she founded the Betty Ford Center, a substance abuse and addiction treatment facility.

Early Life

Elizabeth “Betty” Anne Bloomer was the third child, and only daughter, of William Bloomer, Sr. and Hortense Neahr. Elizabeth’s father worked for the Royal Rubber Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her mother was related to a wealthy Grand Rapids furniture manufacturing family.

Betty’s mother thought social graces were important, so in 1926 eight-year-old Betty enrolled at Calla Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids, where she studied ballet, tap and modern movement. Dance became a passion, and soon Betty decided to pursue it as a career. At 14, she taught younger children dances such as the foxtrot, waltz and “The Big Apple.” While still in high school, she opened her own dance school teaching children and adults.



Work and First Marriage

Hortense Bloomer never completely accepted her daughter’s career choice and urged Betty to come home. Finally, after realizing that she would probably not be a premier dancer, Betty returned to Grand Rapids in 1941 to work full-time at Herpolscheimer’s department store. After a series of promotions, she became a fashion coordinator for the store. She continued her strong interest in dance, teaching at Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids and organizing her own dance troupe. She also offered weekly dance classes to African-American children, and taught ballroom dancing to children with sight and hearing disabilities.

In 1942, Betty Bloomer met and married William C. Warren, a furniture salesman whom she had known since she was 12. Warren had a series of jobs in different cities, often as a traveling salesman, and Betty sometimes worked as a department store saleswoman and model in cities where they lived. After three years, however, Betty realized the marriage wasn’t going to work. She wanted a home, family, and children and grew tired of the couple’s itinerant lifestyle. But before she could discuss a divorce, Warren fell ill with acute diabetes. While he recovered over the next two years, Betty worked to support them both. This experience left her with a strong impression of the inequalities in compensation between genders for doing the same job. After Warren recovered, the couple ended their marriage.

Marriage to Gerald Ford


In December 1948, the Fords moved to a Virginia suburb outside of Washington, D.C. Betty quickly immersed herself in the political process. She got to know the names and positions of powerful legislative figures, served as her husband’s unofficial adviser, and networked with other Congressmen’s spouses. As Ford built his Congressional career, winning re-election 13 times and rising to the position of House Minority Leader, Betty assumed the traditional responsibilities of a father as well as a mother to their four children. She also became involved with charity organizations and volunteer work.

First Lady


In short order, it became apparent that the new First Lady was going to make an impact.

Betty became known for dancing to disco music at informal White House events, and was especially good at the dance move, “The Bump.” She chatted on her CB radio under the call name “First Mama.” But Betty Ford could also be very serious on subjects such as equal rights for women, abortion and divorce. At times, her outspokenness raised disapproval from the more conservative elements of the Republican Party. After a 60 Minutes appearance where she openly discussed how she would counsel her children if they were involved in pre-marital sex and recreational drugs, some conservatives called her “No Lady” and demanded her resignation. But the nation as a whole found her openness appealing, and her approval rating reached 75 percent.

Political Will

Weeks after Betty Ford became First Lady, she was diagnosed with malignant breast cancer during a routine exam. Ford underwent a mastectomy, and her openness about her illness raised visibility for a disease that Americans had previously been reluctant to discuss. During her convalescence, she realized the influence and power being a First Lady had on influencing policy and creating change. She supported the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), and lobbied hard for its passage. She also became a strong advocate for a women’s right to free choice in many decisions that affected their lives. As a result of her efforts, Time magazine named her woman of the year in 1975.

In 1976, Betty Ford showed her innate political skills when her husband ran for president against Democratic challenger and former Georgia governor, Jimmy Carter. The First Lady played a highly visible role during the campaign. She not only advocated for her husband, but also stood as a symbol of a moderate Republican as the conservative Republican wing of the party began to emerge. Betty taped radio ads, spoke at rallies, and campaigned hard, despite the tremendous strain on her health. Though most of her activities were spontaneous, she was often confined to stops in moderate-to-liberal states by the campaign staff, who worried at times that Betty Ford was appearing more liberal than Rosalynn Carter, the Democratic candidate’s wife. She remained very popular with the public, however, and many supporters for President Ford wore buttons saying “Vote for Betty’s Husband.” When Gerald Ford lost to Jimmy Carter in the election, it was Betty Ford who delivered his concession speech, due to her husband’s bout with laryngitis in the last days of the campaign.

Struggle with Addiction



Final Years


Gerald Ford, Betty’s husband of 58 years, died on December 26, 2006, at the age of 93. The couple had four children together: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. After her husband’s death, Betty refrained from any public appearances, but remained active as chair-emeritus of the Betty Ford Center.


Biography courtesy of BIO.com


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First Ladies
