Elizabeth Ann Betty Ford

Elizabeth Ann Betty Ford (née Bloomer; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford. Ford was noted for raising breast cancer awareness following her 1974 mastectomy. In addition, she was a passionate supporter of and activist for, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Pro-choice on abortion and a leader in the Women\u27s Movement, she gained fame as one of the most candid first ladies in history, commenting on every hot-button issue of the time, including feminism, equal pay, the ERA, sex, drugs, abortion, and gun control. She also raised awareness of addiction when in the 1970s; she announced her long-running battle with alcoholism. Following her White House years, she continued to lobby for the ERA and remained active in the feminist movement. She was the founder, and served as the first chair of the board of directors, of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and addiction. She was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal (co-presentation with her husband, Gerald R. Ford, October 21, 1998) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (presented 1991 by George H. W. Bush).https://nsuworks.nova.edu/nsudigital_forums/1052/thumbnail.jp