Betty Ford

Elizabeth Anne Ford (née Bloomer; formerly Warren) was born on April 8, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois, and passed away on July 8, 2011. She was known for serving as the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, during the presidency of her husband, Gerald Ford. Prior to her tenure as First Lady, she was the Second Lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974, when Gerald Ford was Vice President.

Elizabeth Ford was the daughter of Hortense (née Neahr) and William Stephenson Bloomer Sr. Her father worked as a traveling salesman for Royal Rubber Co. Her family lived briefly in Denver, Colorado, before settling in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she graduated from Central High School. She was the third child and only daughter among her siblings. Her mother enrolled her in the Calla Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids when she was eight years old, fostering her interest in ballet, tap dancing, and modern movement. She began modeling clothes and teaching dance at age 14 to earn money during the Great Depression. She graduated from high school in 1935 and subsequently studied dance at the Bennington School of Dance in Vermont.

In 1936, Ford considered advancing her dance studies in New York City but was advised against it by her mother following the recent death of her father, who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at age 59. She then attended summer programs at the Bennington School of Dance, where she studied alongside prominent choreographers such as Martha Graham and Hanya Holm. In 1940, she moved to New York City to pursue dance professionally, working as a fashion model and performing with Martha Graham's troupe at Carnegie Hall. Her mother, however, opposed her career in dance, leading her to return to Grand Rapids, where she lived with her mother's new husband, Arthur Meigs Godwin. During this period, she taught dance and organized her own dance group.

Elizabeth Bloomer married William G. Warren in 1942. They had known each other since childhood and married when she was 24. Warren was involved in insurance sales and later worked for the Continental Can Company and Widdicomb Furniture Company. The marriage was marked by frequent relocations due to his job, and Warren struggled with alcoholism and diabetes. She supported him through periods of illness, including living in his family home during his recovery after a coma. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947.

In August 1947, Ford was introduced to Gerald Ford, a lawyer and World War II veteran. They married on October 15, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the time, Ford was beginning his political career, running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Their marriage lasted until Gerald Ford's death in 2006 and produced four children: Michael Gerald Ford, among others.

Throughout her career as First Lady, Betty Ford was active in social policy and became known for her advocacy on issues including breast cancer awareness, following her mastectomy in 1974, and support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She was also a supporter of abortion rights and was outspoken on various social issues, such as feminism, equal pay, sex, drugs, and abortion. Her honesty and activism set a precedent for the role of a politically engaged presidential spouse.

After her tenure as First Lady, Ford continued her advocacy work. She publicly disclosed her struggles with alcoholism and substance abuse, which led to her founding the Betty Ford Center, serving as its first board chair. She remained active in health and social causes, including HIV/AIDS. Her influence persisted into her later years, with annual high rankings in Gallup's most admired women poll through 1991, and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1998, the latter shared with her husband.