Former First Lady Betty Ford died last weekend at the age of 93. Betty wasn't afraid to share her liberal or moderate positions on social issues, and some presidential historians believe her legacy could outweigh her husband's. Betty took risks more cautious presidential wives would not have, and as The New York Times wrote in its obituary, she was an "outspoken and much-admired" first lady. Here are five examples of how Betty made the most of her brief time in the White House by making a difference for American women.
- Supported Equal Rights Amendment: Betty lent her full support to the controversial and ultimately unsuccessful Equal Rights Amendment. She called legislators and gave speeches across the country. She also was a vocal supporter of equal pay.
- Talked Openly About Breast Cancer: Within two months of becoming first lady, Betty found out she had breast cancer. Instead of trying to hide it, she discussed her mastectomy in public with hopes of helping other women detect and treat breast cancer. Of losing her breasts, she said: "Once it's done, put it behind you and go on with your life." As more American women headed to the doctor's for breast exams, she received more than 50,000 cards filled with gratitude.
- Pro Legal Abortion: Despite the Republican party's official opposition to abortion, Betty openly supported it.
- Realistic About Premarital Sex: During a 60 Minutes interview, Betty said she would provide her 18-year-old daughter support or "counsel" if she had premarital sex. As for marital sex, Betty also raised eyebrows for openly admitting that she planned to share a bed with her husband in the White House, and she said she slept with the president "as often as I can."
- Honest About Substance Abuse: After doctors prescribed her pain medication for a pinched nerve in 1964, Betty struggled with a prescription drug and alcohol problem until her family held an intervention in 1978. In her memoir, Betty: A Glad Awakening, she discussed the loneliness associated with being a politician's wife, which contributed to her abuse: "On one hand, I loved being 'the wife of;' on the other hand, I was convinced that the more important Jerry became, the less important I became." Instead of being ashamed of her addiction, Betty recovered and then opened her famous rehab center, the Betty Ford Clinic, in California to help treat many other women — and men — with addiction.
See pictures of First Lady Betty Ford over the years now.
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