Betty Ford: Lifetime of Surprises
by Evelynn Barr
It all happened in an instant. Not that she hadn’t seen it coming — in fact, she’d expected it for days subconsciously, writing in her autobiography, “I think the possibility so terrified me that I was blocking it out.” Scared, she didn’t know how to deal with the responsibility that loomed like an incoming storm. But in the end, the inevitable always triumphs.
On the night of August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced his resignation of presidency on public television, making Vice President Gerald R. Ford president and his wife, Betty, the 38th First Lady of the United States of America.
Betty Ford was born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer to William Stephenson Bloomer and Hortense Neahr Bloomer on April 8, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois. She described herself as mischievous growing up, pulling pranks on Halloween that were “so terrible I would be furious if my children had ever tried them.” But even with her antics, she also had a dream, which she began to pursue by enrolling at Calla Travis Dance School in Grand Rapids at age eight. She studied ballet, tap, and modern movement.
Dance quickly became a passion of hers, and she decided to pursue it as a career. At age 14, Betty began teaching dance to both children and adults, and while still in high school, she opened her own dance school.
In her autobiography, Betty recounts that, when she was younger, she visited a fortune teller who told her she would meet kings and queens, and she took her dance career as a fulfillment of this fortune. Unfortunately, tragedy struck just two years after she opened the dance school: her father died of carbon monoxide asphyxiation while working on the family car in their garage. Whether it was accidental or suicide, the family never knew, but it left Betty with a keen sense of loss. Betty’s mother became the family’s main provider; that greatly impacted Betty’s views on job equality for women.
Betty’s mother never fully approved of her career choice and urged her to return home. Betty did, and in 1941 she found work at a department store. But the inclination towards dance never fully left either, so Betty taught at the Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids. “She also offered weekly dance classes to African-American children, and taught ballroom dancing to children with sight and hearing disabilities.” That kind of outreach became a trend throughout her life.
After a failed first marriage, Betty met Gerald Ford in 1947. She immersed herself into his world of politics when he began running for offices. She made sure she knew the positions and names of the legislative figures, and even became Gerald’s unofficial advisor.
Gerald Ford became a representative and remained in Congress until Nixon nominated him to be vice president on December 6, 1973. Ford took the office vacated by Spiro Agnew, who had pleaded no contest to allegations of malfeasance related to the Watergate investigation.
Betty avoided interviews, telling reporters she would not talk to them until her husband was confirmed as vice president. After Gerald’s confirmation, reporters began calling Betty. In turn, she said in her autobiography, “I phoned my husband at his office. I was in tears.” Gerald reminded her that she couldn’t go back on her word. So at the age of 56, Betty Ford took on a public role.
In August 1974, Betty became First Lady. And boy, what a stir she caused as she settled into the position. “She chatted on her CB radio under the call name ‘First Mama.’” She openly discussed taboo subjects, such as women’s equality, divorce, and abortion. She even talked about how she would counsel her children if they were involved in premarital sex or drugs. Of course, not everyone appreciated how outspoken she was, and conservatives who disapproved began to call her “No Lady.” But she pressed onward, unfazed by the opposition.
Mere weeks after her husband became president, Betty learned she had breast cancer, another nearly taboo topic in America at the time. But her openness about her treatment, which included a mastectomy, and her recovery , made a lasting impact across the country. She also advocated hard for women’s equality and free choice in many subjects she’d discussed before, and as a result, Time magazine named her woman of the year in 1975.
After the Fords left the White House in January 1977, Betty became addicted to opioids, which she had been originally taken for pain, as well as alcohol. In 1978, her family stepped in and although she was extremely reluctant to receive help, Betty eventually recovered and realized how much of an impact the experience had on her. She established the Betty Ford Center, recognizing that, as a former first lady, she really could make a change for others who were going through the same struggle as herself.
During the rest of her life, she continued to advocate for the underdogs, and wrote several books that reached out to those, as well as some recounting her own life and personal struggles. On July 8, 2011, she passed away of natural causes, leaving in her wake a strong wave of dedication and example in the history books that still inspires and propels us all forward in rights and freedoms.
Sources:
Betty Ford. The Times of My Life.New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
