Former first lady Betty Ford was an advocate for women's rights and an inspiration to people struggling with addiction. She died on Friday.

Her name has become synonymous with candor about addiction, but when the idea was first suggested to Betty Ford to put her name on a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, the former first lady was afraid of what it might mean for her

See Us' touching tribute to celebrities who passed away this year

My work as an historian, researcher and author of books on the American First Ladies and the political power and cultural influence they possess overlapped a timeline during which nine women who held that unofficial position were alive and helped me, either in writing, by telephone, or in formal and informal interviews. There were several

Lisa McCubbin's sympathetic new biography 'Betty Ford' looks at the life of the first lady known for her candor and personal struggles.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Presidents and The Kennedy Detail comes an “insightful and beautifully told look into the life of one of the most public and admired first ladies” (Publishers Weekly)—Betty Ford. Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer is the inspiring story of an ordinary Midwestern girl thrust onto the world stage and into the White House under extraordinary circumstances. Setting a precedent as First Lady, Betty Ford refused to be silenced by her critics as she publicly championed equal rights for women, and spoke out about issues that had previously been taboo—breast cancer, depression, abortion, and sexuality. Privately, there were signs something was wrong. After a painful intervention by her family, she admitted to an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. Her courageous decision to speak out publicly sparked a national dialogue, and in 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center, which revolutionized treatment for alcoholism and inspired the modern concept of recovery. Lisa McCubbin also brings to light Gerald and Betty Ford’s sweeping love story: from Michigan to the White House, until their dying days, their relationship was that of a man and woman utterly devoted to one another other—a relationship built on trust, respect, and an unquantifiable chemistry. Based on intimate interviews with her children, Susan Ford Bales and Steven Ford, as well as family, friends, and colleagues, Betty Ford is “a vivid picture of a singularly influential woman” (Bookpage).

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Michelle Pfeiffer says she'll never play a real person again after starring as Betty Ford in Showtime's 'The First Lady' and previously playing real people in 'Dangerous Minds' and 'The Wizard of Lies'.

Betty Ford's statements were considered controversial in 1976. Yet her opinions, according to contemporary Roper and Gallup polls, were shared by the great majority of American women.

We're saluting you, kids! See America's presidential first children through the years, from Alice Roosevelt to Sasha Obama (and the incoming Barron Trump)

The main job of a first lady is to pose for pictures with random objects. At least that what it seems like.

Betty Ford, briefly America’s quirky First Lady and its perennial therapeutic icon, is dead, aged 93. When we say the name Betty Ford these days, it almost always refers to her eponymous cen…

Ford spoke candidly about her battle with breast cancer and her struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse, which she did not overcome until 1978, two years after her husband was defeated by Jimmy Carter.

And you thought Michelle Obama had moves. The U.S. National Archive Twitter account brings our attention to the best hora we’ve seen all week (I know, I know, it’s only Tuesday): Betty Ford’s. “Betty Ford dances the #hora after a state dinner,” the tweet said, linking to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum …

Queen Elizabeth II has held the throne for six decades, so she’s met with many historical figures.

As Malia and Sasha Obama arrive in Washington, they join a rarefied group of war heroes, authors, socialites and enfants terribles

First ladies do better the second time around. View our gallery.