Living in West Michigan, I have been to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum many times: school trips, family fun days, ArtPrize, photos for a friend's wedding. I always felt a lot of hometown pride that a former President came from West Michigan and enjoyed walking through the exhibits, learning about his life, Presidency, and legacy. (Especially the staged Oval Office... always makes me think I'm on the set of "The American President.") But I have to admit that I never gave as much thought to the former First Lady, Betty Ford. There is information about her in the museum as well, but I'm so glad that there is currently a centennial exhibit celebrating HER life and legacy.
Lisa McCubbin, author of the new biography about Betty Ford, spoke at the Ford Museum last week and gave a presentation of her experience working with the Ford family and what she's learned about this extraordinary woman who was so much more than our Former First Lady.
Growing up, Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer was an exceptional dancer living in Grand Rapids, MI with her family. She modeled at a Herpolsheimer's-local store- and, after studying dance in Bennington, VT and New York City, Betty returned to Grand Rapids and opened a dance studio.
Betty married William Warren in 1942, although the marriage only lasted until 1947. By 1948, Betty had met and was courting Gerald Ford, an up-and-coming Grand Rapids lawyer, but they hadn't gotten engaged yet because Gerry planned to announce his bid for Congress. Because Betty was divorced it was unknown how voters would react, but it did not end up being an issue to the public. (I didn't even realize she had been married previously until this exhibit opened up!) Gerry was voted in to Congress and the Fords moved to the D.C. area where they had four children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. Gerry ascended to the position of Minority House, then Vice President, and then President.
Betty had never signed on to the lifestyle of the wife of such a high-profile politician, but she adapted gracefully and was very involved in the D.C. sphere. Betty did not shy away from speaking up for the causes she believed in, even if the other Republicans in the White House wanted her to keep a low profile. Betty was an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, mental health, premarital sex, and marijuana. Time Magazine named Betty Ford as the Woman of the Year in 1975 in recognition of her work.
While in the White House, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. She decided that women in the United States needed to know that it was important not only to be screened for breast cancer, but that women who were suffering in silence with the disease need not be. Betty was very open about her illness and treatment and wanted the language of breast cancer to become normalized on television, rather than taboo.
"When other women have this same operation, it doesn't make any headlines," she told Time. "But the fact that I was the wife of the President put it in headlines and brought before the public this particular experience I was going through. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. I'm sure I've saved at least one person — maybe more."
Lisa McCubbin's editor suggested that she write about Betty Ford when she was finished with her previous project a few years ago. That story had not been told in it's entirety, and so McCubbin contacted the Ford family as well as friends and other contacts from Betty's life and wrote it all down. At the book reading at the museum, it was clear that the family had accepted Lisa into the fold, and Michael Ford gave a lovely introduction for the woman who was bringing his mother's story to a new generation of people. I feel grateful to have been able to attend this event as well as meeting the author. The book is insightful and honors a wonderful woman and hardworking American, and I highly recommend it.
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