First Ladies | Betty Ford | 4

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1974, Betty Ford was thrust onto the world stage when Richard Nixon resigned and her husband, Gerald, rose from VP to become the 38th President of the United States. As First Lady, Betty became known for her frank and candid interviews, where she discussed feminism, sexuality, and abortion. She also talked openly about breast cancer and her own mastectomy in order to promote health awareness.

She would continue her candor after leaving the White House, publicly sharing her struggles with alcoholism and substance abuse, and founding the Betty Ford Center to provide treatment for those facing similar challenges, reinforcing her unique public persona.

Order your copy of the new American History Tellers book, The Hidden History of the White House, for behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wunderry Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American history tellers early and
0:05.1	ad free right now. Join Wundery Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's just after 10 p.m. on October 10th, 1973. You're at home in Alexandria,
0:30.5	Virginia sipping a glass of wine and reading the newspaper spread across the dining room
0:35.0	table.
0:36.0	Even keeping tabs on the latest out of Washington, and there's been a lot lately, from the
0:40.4	Watergate scandal, to the war in Vietnam Vietnam to the bribery charges hanging over Vice President
0:45.4	Spiro Agnew.
0:46.8	The news has been so depressing.
0:48.8	Glad your husband has agreed to retire from Congress in three years at the end of President Richard Nixon's second term.
0:55.0	Because it's time both of you got out of D.C.
0:58.0	Suddenly, your husband comes rushing into the dining room.
1:02.0	Honey, we need to talk.
1:04.7	Your husband is a World War II veteran
1:06.8	and he's served many years in Congress.
1:09.1	It takes a lot to rattle him,
1:10.7	but right now he looks pale and downright shocked.
1:13.0	Jerry, what the heck is going on?
1:15.0	Maybe you should sit down first.
1:18.0	I am sitting. Talk.
1:20.0	Okay, well, Spiro Agnew just resigned, effective immediately.
1:26.0	I heard that on the radio.
1:28.0	What's that got to do with you?
	...

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