Betty Ford passed away late last week following a long illness at the age of 93. While many First Ladies championed feel-good or non-controversial social issues like literacy, drugs, and decreasing highway billboards, Ford fought for women’s rights when many in the Republican party were against them and publicly spoke about her personal additions to pain killers and alcohol.
She co-founded the Betty Ford Treatment Center and served on its board of directors for more than two decades. In part because of her advice, President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. Though it ensured that he’d never win re-election, it allowed the nation to start healing and, years later, he was given an award for that choice. Betty Ford was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1991) and the Congressional Gold Medal (1999).
Betty Ford will be remembered for many things, including one short but memorable 1976 cameo on The Mary Tyler Moore Show — while her husband was still in office.
Here’s the clip:
What do you think? How will you remember Betty Ford?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, thank you for posting. I remember watching this show as a kid even though it was a bit too grown up for me at the time.
Very cool, thanks for sharing. I’d forgotten how funny that show was.