[31] Active in social policy, Ford broke new ground as a politically active presidential spouse. Under his direction, the firms assets under management have increased from roughly $12 billion in 2007 to $34 billion as of March 2020. Weeks after Ford became first lady, she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer on September 28, 1974, after having been diagnosed with the disease. He is the Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm with $84 billion in assets under management as of November, 2021. In 1993, Robin Dreyer (who is now Penland's communications manager) wrote an article about Bill for the school's . Ford made campaign appearances and delivered speeches across the United States. In 1965, Ford suffered a significant nervous breakdown, erupting in severe crying that had appeared inexplicable to others. [19], During a January 1984 address in Michigan to a crowd of individuals who were in the early stages of alcohol and drug dependency treatment, Ford declared that the six years since she began her treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, "have been the best years in my life from the standpoint of feeling healthier and feeling more comfortable with myself". So he sent Bill an email with a unique request, not counting on getting a reply. [3], The heavy campaigning placed a strain on Ford's health. [20][failed verification][6][failed verification], In July 2022, Ford helped found a group of U.S. business and policy leaders who share the goal of constructively engaging with China in order to improve U.S.-China relations. [69][70], On January 19, 1977, her last full day as first lady, Betty Ford used her training as a Martha Graham dancer to jump up on the Cabinet Room table. [37][33] In January 1976, the editors of the New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "one of the most charming and popular First Ladies ever to occupy the White House". "Ford and Ford" in Scott Kaufman, ed. She drew boos from demonstrators against the Equal Rights Amendment in stating, "This exhibit about neglected Americans should give us strength and courage to seek equal rights for women today."[57]. her husband's time in the office of the presidency, develop an addiction to prescription medication, 1974 United States House of Representatives election, 1972 United States House of Representatives elections, joint session of the United States Congress, Ford filmed an interview with the television news program, National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam, List of state dinners in the United States, wine from the Fords' home state of Michigan, discrimination in the United States military, Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service, List of breast cancer patients according to occupation, List of first ladies of the United States, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, "Betty Ford Dies at Age 93; A Look Back on the Former First Lady", "Betty Ford, Again Putting On a Brave Face", "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum", "The 38th First Lady: not a robot at all", "Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93", "Betty's life changed dramatically once she became", "Friends Asking: 'Is There A New Betty Ford? Bill gave me a call a few hours before I popped the question to wish me luck, Burkman said. [19] In her 1987 memoir she reflected on these addictions, writing, "I liked alcohol, it made me feel warm. [56], Ford's involvement in political issues received some conservative criticism. [19] He is first cousin to Alfred Ford. [123], In 1975, when Time named "American women" as its "Time Person of the Year",[39] the magazine profiled Ford as one of eleven women selected to represent "American women".[40]. [3][12] With her husband assuming the office of vice president, Ford became the second lady of the United States. She successfully lobbied her husband to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to choreographer and dancer Martha Graham in 1976. 2023 The Ford Motor Company | This site may contain links to external websites not affiliated with Ford Motor Company | Images, video and audio from this Web site are provided without login for the purpose of editorial use only. Get the latest bill ford news, articles, videos and photos on the New York Post. [3], In November 1975, it was reported by the Associated Press that Ford's husband's advisors, who had previously worried her outspoken comments would hurt him in the 1976 presidential election, were now recognizing her popularity and desiring for her to have a greater role in the campaign. Ford's transparency was praised by experts in drug abuse treatment, who predicted that it would make a major and positive impact. Gerald Ford was in the middle of his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. The chairman of Ford Motor and the great-grandson of Henry Ford is an elder statesman in an industry where C.E.O.s come and go. She served as the honorary president of the National Lupus Foundation, regarding lupus as a disease which impacted women, yet received minimal public attention. [107] In 2000, the Lasker Foundation awarded Ford its annual Mary Woodard Lasker Public Service Award. Enter your email below and we'll send a link to help you access your account. [7][36] While President Ford never attempted to silence his wife, some of his senior staff resented her independent candor. In 1985, Ford received the Los Angeles AIDS Projects "Commitment to Life Award". On September 5, 2006, Ford announced that he was stepping down as president and CEO, naming former Boeing senior executive Alan Mulally as his replacement. [7], In May 1975, during a four-day trip,[55] Ford met with former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyn Cao K to discuss Southeast Asia refugees. Bill was born in Stockton, CA. in Economics from Amherst College in 1983. [24] The Carters would, ultimately be the Fords successors as president and first lady after Carter defeated Ford in the 1976 United States presidential election. [3][68] She is the most recent first lady not to have done so. ", McClellan, Michelle L. "Fame through Shame: Women Alcoholics, Celebrity, and Disclosure. [4], In 1926, when she was eight years old, her mother, who valued social graces, enrolled her in the Calla Travis Dance Studio in Grand Rapids, where Ford was taught ballet, tap dancing, and modern movement. Among the nations that Ford accompanied her husband to were China, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. [65][66], Of the state dinners she planned, Ford said, "From the beginning, Jerry and I tried to make the White House a place where people could have fun and enjoy themselves. [1][2] Ford also served as the president, CEO, and COO until turning over those roles to former Boeing executive Alan Mulally in September 2006. [35] The New York News Service wrote that Ford was, "constitutionally incapable of uttering 'no comment' or otherwise fudging an answer.". He is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, the renowned American industrialist. This dinner was part of the American bicentennial celebrations, and was held in tent on the South Lawn of the White House. [74] A Ford family friend said that President Ford "about fell off his chair" when he saw the photo for the first time. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Ford has been a vegetarian since 1990, and adopted a vegan diet in 2010. Ford was the most prominent national supporter of the project. on September 8, 1937 to Earl and Dorothy Ford. [25][62] Once she became first lady, it fell to Ford to arrange this already-scheduled dinner. [3][14][17] Gerald Ford had ambitions to rise to the rank of speaker of the house, and therefore maintained a busy travel schedule, regularly crisscrossing the United States to fundraise and campaign on behalf of other Republicans in hopes that they would, in turn, provide him with the support he'd eventually need to become speaker. [3], Between Labor Day and election day, for the general election campaign, Ford conducted multi-stop speaking tours, during which she visited western states (including California, Colorado, Texas, and Utah) as well was northern midwest states including Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Not only were my boss and manager incredibly understanding, but when they heard about my wife needing a wig made with her own hair during chemotherapy, they got enough people together to cover the cost.. She got a job as assistant to the fashion coordinator for Herpolsheimer's, a local department store. During the period after the election, Ford postponed scheduled plans to give her slated successor, Rosalyn Carter, a tour of the White House. The first instance of a first lady conducting one had been Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. In 1984 he received an M.S. Her overall approval rating was, at times, as high as 75%. This is the only time that a major United States presidential candidate's spouse has delivered their concession on their behalf. This meant that Gerald Ford was away from home for roughly half the year, placing a great burden on Ford to raise their children. Every detail was meticulously planned by Burkman and seven of his friends, six of them coworkers at Ford. [3][5][6] While she was still in high school, she started her own dance school, instructing both youth and adults. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974 when her husband was vice . A Ford worker called Wesley Burkman lost his wife in 2017; she passed away after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Net Worth in 2021. "Ford. [46] The poll gauges Americans' most admired men and women without providing respondents any pre-arranged list of names. The Fords' children often also attended the dinners they hosted. [15], Market competition, health care, and raw material costs led Ford to announce a second restructuring for its North American operations in four years. ", Hummer, Jill Abraham. She agreed, that day, to detox from her medicine. She desired to have a family with children and was unhappy with the frequent moves between cities she had experienced in her marriage. Betty" (2013). [54] Her active political role prompted Time to call her the country's "Fighting First Lady" and was the reason they profiled her, among several others, to represent the "American Women" as the magazine's 1975 Person of the Year. The British beauty, who was imported from Harrods and handed a billion dollars to revamp the Saks Fifth Avenue chain, is dating Ford, the . [5] With her father's passing, her family lost its primary breadwinner, and her mother began working as a real estate agent to support the family. LR: Nancy Reagan, Ladybird Johnson , Hillary Clinton, Rosalyn Carter, Ford, Barbara Bush, The Fords post for a photograph with three other U.S. first couples (George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter) during at the 2000 White House Historical Association Dinner, Ford attends a National Press Club event in 2001, The Fords with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2003 at a celebration President Ford's 90th birthday, Ford and her husband at a June 2005 Gerald R. Ford Foundation dinner, Betty Ford with her husband and President George W. Bush on April 23, 2006, Ford leans over President Ford's coffin during memorial services for him held December 30, 2006 in the United States Capitol rotunda as part of the his state funeral, Ford being escorted by Army Major General Guy C. Swan III during a portion of the state funeral of her late husband, Betty Ford died of natural causes on July 8, 2011, three months after her 93rd birthday, at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. [19] In 1993, Ford was quoted as speaking against existing bans gays from serving in the military, remarking, .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Constitutionally all citizens have the right to serve their country as long as they abide by the rules and regulations of military service. Ford was also observed as upgrading her wardrobe, adding designer clothing. With the retirement of Ford president and chief operating officer Jim Padilla in April 2006, Bill Ford assumed those roles as well. [115] In both the 1993 and 2003 Siena Research Institute surveys, Ford was similarly ranked the 5th-highest in historians' assessment of first ladies' courage. The week she entered rehab, Ford disclosed her addiction to prescription medication. [12] He has been a director of prior General Atlantic portfolio companies including Tory Burch, First Republic Bank, NYSE Euronext, E*Trade, Priceline, and NYMEX. In contrast, there was tremendous organic excitement for Betty Ford among supporters of the campaign. When they returned to Grand Rapids, she worked again at Herpolsheimer's, this time as the fashion coordinator. Bloomer became immersed in her life in Grand Rapids and did not return to New York. ", United States House of Representatives elections, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 18:12. Ford's restructuring plan, dubbed "The Way Forward", reversed a $1.6 billion loss during 2009 in its North American operations. [19] Ford also, unsuccessfully, lobbied her husband to appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court of the United States[7][33] or as a running mate in the 1976 election. [3] As a mother, Ford never spanked or hit her children, believing that there were better, more constructive ways to deal with discipline and punishment. In the first of adjustments for politics, he had asked her to delay the wedding until shortly before the primary election because, as The New York Times reported, "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer. Bill Ford: 'Our Family Name Is on the Line Every Day'. The family of Henry Ford is an American family from the U.S. state of Michigan, best known for their control of the Ford Motor Company automobile manufacturer, which was founded by Henry Ford in the early-twentieth century. She was the couple's third child and only daughter. People often asked him if his work was being flexible. [118], In 2021, Zogby Analytics conducted a poll in which a sample of the American public was asked to assess the greatness of twelve First Ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy onwards. Elizabeth Anne Ford (ne Bloomer; formerly Warren;[2] April 8, 1918 July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. [25][26] At the first state dinner that she arranged as first lady, Ford revived dancing as an activity of White House state dinners. [99], Ford tackled the stigmatized issue of HIV/AIDS during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Ford succeeded in getting sober. [19] For a long time, it was unclear whether Gerald Ford shared his wife's pro-abortion rights viewpoint. Enlarge Image. In addition, she was a passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
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