First Ladies (54 page)

In addition to the strains documented by other wives, Betty Ford suffered from a pinched nerve and arthritis. Finally, in 1970, she sought professional help, and as a result of several months of counseling, she resolved to keep more time for herself and to persuade her husband to leave Washington after his congressional term ended in 1976.
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Those plans abruptly changed in late 1973 when vice president Spiro Agnew resigned and Gerald Ford was named to that job. Instead of preparing to end her Washington residence as the unknown spouse of a Michigan congressman, Betty Ford moved into the center of national attention. The stock-taking begun in the therapy sessions served her well, however, and she resolved to guard part of her time and to continue to be “just me.”

Maintaining her equilibrium was not easy when, within a year, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, and Gerald Ford moved up to that office. The entire Ford family, none of whom had ever campaigned in a constituency larger than half a million people, became the focus of more scrutiny than they had ever imagined possible. Magazines profiled the four Ford children, and Betty Ford, the woman
Good Housekeeping
said “nobody knows,”
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quickly became someone whom everybody sought to meet.

Having arrived in Washington when Bess Truman was First Lady, Betty Ford had come to admire (as many other Washington wives had) the way Bess combined being in the spotlight with staying “so humble.” Bess's example guided her, she wrote.
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Perhaps Betty Ford felt particular sympathy for another Midwesterner, who like herself had moved without much warning or preparation into the White House. Certainly the two women shared little in their attitudes toward privacy or in their views about whether presidential wives should take sides on controversial issues. While Bess Truman refused to speak up on any matter more divisive than that of restoring the White House, Betty Ford appeared willing to talk about almost anything.

Jacqueline Kennedy made a pleasure trip to India with her sister, and in traveling without the president, she helped make the American First Lady an international figure. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Jacqueline Kennedy made a poignant appearance at the inauguration of Lyndon Johnson aboard Air Force One less than two hours after her husband's death. Courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library.

Newlyweds Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson appear to be tourists in the capital, but already in 1934, they had come to Washington to stay. Courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library.

Patricia Nixon visited the Great Wall of China during the Nixons' historic tour of China in 1972. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

When Gerald Ford's voice gave out on election night in 1976, Betty Ford read his concession speech. Courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Library.

Three First Ladies were represented at the National Women's Conference in Houston in November 1977: from left, Liz Carpenter, press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, is shown with Rosalynn Carter and Betty Ford. Courtesy of the Carter Presidential Library.

After her first White House year, Nancy Reagan increased her involvement in programs to combat use of illegal drugs. Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Library.

Although she frequently poked fun at her own appearance, Barbara Bush oversaw a White House that released very flattering photographs of her and her family. Courtesy of the George Bush Library and Museum.

Hillary Clinton frequently felt the need to emphasize her domestic side during her time in the White House. Courtesy of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

Laura Bush maintained high popularity ratings while her husband's poll numbers sank. Courtesy of First Lady Laura Bush's office.