Timeline
of Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer Ford's
Life and Career
Early Life
April 8, 1918
Elizabeth Ann Bloomer (Betty) is born in Chicago, Illinois to William and
Hortense Neahr Bloomer.
1920
The Bloomer family, including older brothers William and Robert, move to
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Photograph of Betty age 3.
1926
The young Miss Bloomer begins social dancing lessons with Miss Calla Travis.
1932-36
Betty Bloomer attends Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI. She
begins lessons in ballet, tap and modern movement and decides she wants
to pursue a career as a dancer. She also teaches dance to younger
children and works as a model at Herpolsheimer’s department store.
1934
Betty’s father dies.
Summers, 1937-38
After high school graduation, Betty
Bloomer attends Bennington College School of Dance in Vermont. She meets Martha Graham, choreographer
and founder of the famous contemporary dance troupe.
1939
Miss Graham offers the 20 year old Miss Bloomer an opportunity to attend
the Martha Graham School and she moves to New York City. To earn
extra money she works as a model at the John Robert Powers Agency.
1940-41
Miss Bloomer becomes a member of the Graham auxiliary dance group and performs
with the ensemble at Carnegie Hall.
1941
Hortense Bloomer Godwin (remarried) convinces her daughter to return to
Grand Rapids, Michigan. Betty
Bloomer is hired by Calla Travis to teach dance and also returns to Herpolsheimer’s as assistant
fashion coordinator.
1942-47
Miss Betty Bloomer marries William Warren, a friend since school days. The
couple moves often as Mr. Warren changes sales jobs. Betty eventually
returns to Grand Rapids and once again accepts a position at Herpolsheimer’s,
this time as the fashion coordinator. The couple divorce amicably.
August 1947
Betty Bloomer Warren is introduced to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. by mutual friends.
February 1948
The couple becomes engaged to be married but Ford tells his fiancée
the wedding cannot be until Fall because there is something he “has
to do first.”
June 1948
Ford announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. House
of Representatives, Fifth Congressional District of Michigan. He
defeats Bartel Jonkman in the Republican primary.
October 15, 1948
Gerald Ford and Betty
Bloomer Warren wed at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids. Marrying in the middle of his congressional campaign, the
couple honeymoon briefly in Ann Arbor, attend the University of Michigan-Northwestern
football game, and then drive to Owosso, Michigan to attend a rally for
Republican Presidential candidate Thomas Dewey.
November 2, 1948
Gerald Ford is elected to his first term as a U.S. Congressman from Grand
Rapids.
December 1948
Betty’s mother dies.
Congressional Years
and Vice Presidency
January 3, 1949
Gerald and Betty Ford move to Washington, D.C. He is
sworn in as a member of the Eighty-First Congress; she soon
becomes a member of the Congressional Wives Club and helps
the Congressman by escorting visiting constituents on tours
of the Capitol.
March 14, 1950
The Fords’ first
child, Michael Gerald Ford, is born.
March 16, 1952
The Fords’ second son, John Gardner “Jack” Ford,
is born.
Spring 1955
The Fords move into their newly completed house in Alexandria,
Virginia.
May 19, 1956
The Fords’ third son, Steven Meigs Ford, is born.
July 6, 1957
The Fords’ youngest
child, daughter Susan Elizabeth Ford, is born.
1957-73
Betty Ford
is occupied with raising four children. She
serves as Cub Scout Den Mother, Sunday School teacher, and
member of the PTA. She continues to fulfill the supportive
public duties of a Congressional spouse.
November 7, 1972
Gerald Ford is elected to his thirteenth and final term as
a Congressman. Despite Nixon’s landslide victory,
the Republicans do not gain many House seats. Realizing
he may never achieve his goal to become Speaker of the House,
both Fords contemplate their retirement after 1976.
October 1973
Spiro Agnew resigns as Vice President of the United States. Congressman
Ford is nominated to be Vice President by Richard Nixon.
December 6, 1973
Betty Ford’s
husband becomes Vice President of the United States, taking
his oath of office in front of a joint session of Congress.
First Lady
August 9, 1974
President Richard Nixon resigns. Gerald
R. Ford is sworn in as 38th President of the United States,
and Betty Ford becomes First Lady of the United States. In his swearing-in remarks,
President Ford announces “I am indebted to no man, and
only to one woman--my dear wife--as I begin this very difficult
job.”
September 4, 1974
The new First
Lady holds her first press conference facing 75 reporters. She immediately addresses controversial
issues such as legalized abortion rights and the Equal Rights
Amendment.
September 26-28, 1974
Mrs. Ford is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes surgery.
October 7, 1974
The First Lady is open with the public about her diagnosis
and treatment for breast cancer, a disease that, until now,
was not widely discussed in public. With her cooperation,
a complete account appears in Newsweek magazine. She
helps raise public awareness of screening and treatment options
and gives comfort to countless women fighting the disease.
1975-1976
Mrs. Ford
openly supports the Equal Rights Amendment. Making
personal phone calls, she lobbies state legislators to vote
for passage.
July 8, 1975
Gerald Ford formally announces his candidacy for the Republican
presidential nomination in 1976.
August 10, 1975
The First Lady is interviewed on the popular CBS news program, 60
Minutes. She shocks some viewers by acknowledging
that had she been young in the 1970’s she might have
tried marijuana; she called the Supreme Court decision upholding
a woman’s abortion rights a “great, great decision”;
and she said she wouldn’t be surprised if her 18 year
old daughter had an affair. Initial response runs two
to one in criticism of her remarks, but within months her approval
rating climbs to seventy-five percent and she is applauded
for her honesty and candor.
October 25, 1975
Betty Ford
addresses the International Women’s Year meeting
in Cleveland, Ohio. In what will be called “the
most progressive [speech] made by any President’s wife
since Eleanor Roosevelt,” she expresses regret that discrimination
and equal opportunities for women are still far from realized
and she encourages all women to work for passage of the Equal
Rights Amendment. “Being a lady does not require
silence,” she exhorts.
Photograph. Text of Speech.
January 10, 1976
Mrs. Ford appears as herself in an episode of the popular Mary
Tyler Moore Show on CBS television.
July 7, 1976
President
and Mrs. Ford welcome Queen Elizabeth II to the White House
for a state dinner as part of the Bicentennial celebration. It
is the most glamorous of many state dinners that Mrs. Ford
would help plan and host.
August 19, 1976
President
Ford is nominated at the Republican Convention edging out former
California Governor Ronald Reagan. He names
Senator Robert Dole of Kansas as his running mate.
Summer-Fall, 1976
Mrs. Ford
campaigns in California, Texas, and throughout the Mid-West,
making 9 campaign trips in support of her husband’s
candidacy. Enthusiasts sport buttons that encourage “Vote
for Betty’s Husband.”
October 14, 1976
Martha Graham, Betty Ford’s “idol” and mentor
is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald
Ford.
November 3, 1976
Because
he is suffering from laryngitis, Mrs. Ford delivers her husband’s
written remarks congratulating Jimmy Carter as the new President-elect.
December 19, 1976
Betty Ford receives an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University
of Michigan. She uses her acceptance speech to voice
support for the ERA.
January 20, 1977
Carter is sworn in as the 39th President of the United States. The
Fords retire to Rancho Mirage, California and Vail, Colorado.
Post-White House Years
March 9, 1977
President and Mrs. Ford each sign contracts to publish their
respective memoirs.
April 11, 1978
After a family intervention, Mrs. Ford enters the Long Beach
Naval Hospital for treatment of addiction to alcohol and
prescription medication.
November 1978
Times of My Life is published. In this autobiography,
Mrs. Ford recounts her life through her years as First Lady
and concludes with an unplanned chapter on her admittance
to Long Beach and the start of her recovery.
Fall 1979
Gerald Ford considers another run for the Presidency in the
1980 election but decides not to run. Mrs. Ford applauds
the decision.
1981
Betty Ford continues to work in support of the ERA. She
serves as the National Honorary Chair of the ERA Countdown
Campaign. June 30, 1982 sees the deadline for ratification
of the amendment; it fails to pass two-thirds of the states
and does not become law.
1981-1982
Betty Ford and her longtime friend, Ambassador Leonard Firestone,
establish The Betty Ford Center for the treatment of chemical
dependency at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage,
California. She leads the way in raising funds and
developing treatment programs for the Center.
October 3, 1982
The Betty Ford Center is dedicated. Mrs.
Ford is Chairman of the Board until 2005.
1983
Mrs. Ford receives the Susan G. Koman Foundation Award for
her support of breast cancer research and education. The
Koman Foundation becomes a world leader in the fight against
breast cancer. In recognition of her significant contributions
to this group, the award is later renamed the Betty Ford
Award.
1987
Elizabeth Bloomer Ford is inducted into the Michigan Women’s
Hall of Fame for her achievements in the area of Women’s
Rights.
February 1987
A Glad Awakening is published. This is Mrs.
Ford’s autobiographical account of her recovery from
addiction. All proceeds go to the Betty Ford Center.
March 2, 1987
The Betty Ford Story, a television movie made with
Mrs. Ford’s cooperation, premieres.
1988
In Vail, Colorado, the world's highest botanic garden is named
the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in
recognition of Mrs. Ford's many contributions to the Vail Valley
and beyond. Photograph.
March 25, 1991
Betty
Ford testifies before the House Aging Subcommittee on Health
and Long Term Care. She speaks in support of
federal funding for drug abuse treatment programs.
November 18, 1991
Mrs. Ford
is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George
H.W. Bush. The honor is bestowed for her contribution
to health issues. The citation reads in part: “Her
courage and candor have inspired millions of Americans to
restore their health, protect their dignity, and shape full
lives for themselves…”
March 7-8, 1994
Former first ladies Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter testify
before Congress in support of findings by the Bazelon Center
for Mental Health Law study encouraging inclusion of mental
health and substance abuse treatment benefits in the national
health care reform plan. They also co-author a USA
Today op-ed piece explaining their position.
October 27, 1999
President
and Mrs. Ford receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest
award bestowed by the Legislative branch. The
award is given in recognition of “their dedicated
public service and outstanding humanitarian contributions
to the people of the United States.”
April 28, 2001
Mrs. Ford receives an honorary degree from Grand Valley State
University in Michigan.
December 26, 2006
President Ford dies at their California home at 93 years of
age. Mrs. Ford, her children, and the nation enter
a period of mourning, and funeral services are held in Palm
Desert, California; Washington, D.C.; and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
January 3, 2007
Mrs. Ford returns to Rancho Mirage, California. She continues
to serve as Chairman-Emeritus of the Betty Ford Center and
enjoys her role as grandmother and great-grandmother to her
still growing family.
Biography
of Betty Ford
Betty Ford Bibliography
Last
Updated: September 4, 2007
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