[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 11360-11361]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING BETTY FORD

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I ask my colleagues to honor the 
memory of one of our Nations' great leaders, former First Lady Betty 
Ford. Mrs. Ford passed away on July 8, 2011, at the age of 93. She 
leaves behind a legacy of candor, service, equal rights for all and a 
strong record of bipartisanship.
  Elizabeth Ann Bloomer was born in Chicago, IL, on April 8, 1918, to 
William Stephenson Bloomer and Hortense Neahr. She had two older 
brothers, William and Robert Bloomer. When she was young, the family 
moved to Grand Rapids, MI, where she spent her childhood.
  Dance was a passion of hers from a young age. While performing in 
Grand Rapids, she met Martha Graham, who became a lifelong friend, and 
was invited to perform with her dance company in New York City. To 
offset the cost of her own lessons, Mrs. Ford began teaching dance to 
children. She took on students with disabilities, even learning sign 
language so she could better help those who were hearing impaired.
  In 1947 a friend introduced her to Gerald Ford, a lawyer who had been 
a Navy lieutenant during World War II. They became engaged in February 
1948 but waited to announce their plans to marry until June, when Ford 
had won the Republican primary for the local U.S. congressional seat. 
The couple was married in October 1948 in Grand Rapids, just 2 weeks 
before he was elected to his first of 13 congressional terms. They 
spent their honeymoon attending a campaign rally and a University of 
Michigan football game.
  Betty Ford served as the First Lady of the United States from 1974-
1977, during her husband's Presidency. Mrs. Ford broke new ground as an 
activist First Lady who was an outspoken champion for the causes that 
she cared about passionately. She advocated programs that supported the 
arts and provided services for the disabled. She was a champion for 
women's rights and an ardent proponent of the equal rights amendment.
  She became a prominent leader in the women's rights movement and led 
marches and rallies for the ERA. The National Organization for Women 
appointed her as the cochair of the ERA Countdown Campaign. Even after 
she left the White House, she continued to lobby for women's equality 
and remained an active voice for the feminist movement.
  Mrs. Ford never shied away from an opportunity to speak her mind, 
even when her opinions were opposite her husband's. She is known as one 
of the most candid First Ladies in history, who took a strong, public 
stance on those issues she found to be most important: reproductive 
rights, fair pay, and gun control. Mrs. Ford was known for speaking 
plainly about these issues, as well as those that affected her personal 
life.

[[Page 11361]]

  In 1982, after her recovery from an addiction to alcohol and 
prescription drugs, she founded the Betty Ford Center for chemical 
dependency. Her willingness to openly discuss her personal struggles 
raised awareness of alcoholism and drug addiction. Similarly, she 
became a pioneer in the fight against breast cancer when she announced 
she had been diagnosed with a malignant breast tumor and underwent a 
mastectomy. Seeing her recovery helped to remove the stigma about 
cancer and inspired many more women to seek treatment. She helped to 
get the Susan G. Komen Foundation off the ground when the organization 
was first started in 1982. In 1987 the first Betty Ford Breast Care 
Services Center was opened in Grand Rapids, MI, to provide state-of-
the-art diagnostics, education, and testing for breast health. Since 
then, six more centers have opened in the Grand Rapids area.
  In 1991 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1999 
Mrs. Ford, along with President Ford, received the Congressional Gold 
Medal.
  In addition to her public service, Mrs. Ford was a devoted wife and 
mother, and was actively involved in her family's life. She volunteered 
to help with her children's Cub Scout activities, football, baseball, 
and of course, her daughter's dance recitals. She also served as a 
Sunday school teacher at the family's church, and on the PTA.
  Betty Ford was a highly respected and beloved leader. She will be 
missed by all who knew her. She inspired future generations of leaders 
and helped us make huge leaps toward gaining equal opportunities for 
women. She is survived by her three sons: Michael Gerald Ford, John 
Gardner Ford, and Steven Ford; her daughter Susan Ford; and her 
grandchildren Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, Christian, Johnathan, Tyne, and 
Heather.

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