RIP Betty Ford

First Lady Betty Ford, widow of President Gerald Ford, passed away July 8, 2011. She was 93. She was a pathbreaking First Lady and beloved by many.

According to Reid Epstein of Politico: "After her husband elevated to the presidency following Richard Nixon’s 1974 resignation, Ford campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, legal abortion and spoke openly of her battle with breast cancer. For these efforts, she was one of 12 women named as Time magazine’s Women of the Year for 1975."

He continues: "Her longest lasting legacy will be the Betty Ford Center for drug and alcohol rehabilition in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Ford founded the center in 1982 after her own battle with alcohol abuse and prescription medication. It has become the substance rehabilitation center for celebrities ranging from Mickey Mantle to Elizabeth Taylor. For years after the facility opened, Ford greeted each patient individually, telling them about her path to recovery from addiction to alcohol and pain medication."