April 8: Birthday of Betty Ford (1918)
Prayer Idea
Pray that people struggling with addiction could get the support they need to find freedom.
History Note
Elizabeth “Betty” Bloomer was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 8, 1918. Her family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, while she was a child. Betty developed a passion for dance and attended a dance school in Vermont after high school.
Back in Michigan, Betty met and married Gerald R. Ford Jr. Gerald Ford was elected to Congress in 1948, and the couple moved to the Washington, D.C., area. They had four children: Michael, John (known as Jack), Steven, and Susan.
Gerald Ford won re-election to Congress every two years. In 1973, after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned, President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to fill that position. In a dramatic turn of events, Betty Ford unexpectedly became First Lady in 1974 after Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford became president.
Six weeks later Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer. By publicly talking about her experience, she raised awareness of this disease and how it could be treated.
While Betty Ford was recovering from surgery in the hospital, she staged this photo throwing a football to her husband, who had been a star football player in college. Photo courtesy Gerald R. Ford White House Photographs, National Archives.
After her husband lost the 1976 presidential election, the Fords moved to California. Betty’s family helped her acknowledge that she was addicted to pain medication and alcohol. She successfully completed a rehabilitation program. In 1982 she co-founded The Betty Ford Center, which continues to provide treatment for other people struggling with addiction.
Gerald Ford died in 2006. Betty Ford died in 2011. They are both buried at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Learn More
Gerald and Betty Ford’s daughter, Susan, became a leader with the Betty Ford Center. Watch a video where she talks about her family’s experience.
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