Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

This collection documents Betty Ford’s activities during her time as the wife of Vice President Gerald Ford and then First Lady. It includes correspondence and other materials related to trips, local events, state dinners, activities, family activities, and personal interests during the White House period. It also includes Christmas cards that the Fords received during the 1973 holiday season.

QUANTITY
36.4 linear feet (ca. 72,800 pages)

DONOR
Betty Ford (accession numbers 1979-10, 1983-31, 1987-05, 2000-57, 2008-75)

ACCESS
Open. Some series are available on a review-on-request basis. Researchers wishing to view papers should consult with an archivist prior to their visit in order to request that specific folders be added to the Library’s review-on-request queue. Even after the completion of this review some items may be temporarily restricted under terms of the donor's deed of gift, a copy of which is available on request, or under National Archives and Records Administration general restrictions (36 CFR 1256).

COPYRIGHT
Betty Ford has donated to the United States of America her copyrights in all of her unpublished writings in National Archives collections. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain.

Prepared by Leesa Tobin, December 1983; Stacy Davis, May 2017
[s:\bin\findaid\ford betty - papers.doc]

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Nancy Howe

1930 - Born Nancy McDonald in Lynchburg, Virginia

1973-74 - Personal Assistant to Betty Ford, Office of the Vice President

1974 75 - Personal Assistant to the First Lady (Special Assistant)

May 31, 1975 - Resigned from White House

Nancy C. Chirdon

1967-73 - Secretary in various government agencies

1973 - Secretary, Military Office in the Office of the Vice President

1974 - Secretary to John O. Marsh, Jr., Assistant to the Vice President for Defense and International Affairs

1974-75 - Secretary to Sheila Weidenfeld, First Lady's Press Secretary

1975-77 - Personal secretary to the First Lady

Carolyn K. Porembka

1947 - Born in Westbrook, Minnesota

1966 - Graduated Nettleton Commercial College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

1966-73 - Secretary in various government agencies

1973-74 - Personal secretary to the First Lady, Pat Nixon

1974-75 - Secretary to Nancy Howe, Special Assistant to Mrs. Ford

1975-77 - Personal secretary to the First Lady

1977 - Secretary at the Fords' offices in California

INTRODUCTION

Betty Ford hired friend Nancy Howe as her personal assistant not long after Gerald Ford was nominated as Vice President. Mrs. Howe was in charge of guide book sales at the White House Historical Association and had been helping Mrs. Ford for several weeks prior to being officially hired.

As First Lady, Mrs. Ford's staff, often referred to as the East Wing staff, numbered 26 to 28 and were responsible for providing press, social and correspondence support to the First Lady. The person who worked most closely with Mrs. Ford was Nancy Howe, who continued to act as her personal assistant until April 1975 when she left the White House. Howe was replaced by Nancy C. Chirdon, formerly secretary to the First Lady's Press Secretary, and Carolyn K. Porembka, previously secretary to Mrs. Howe.

Scope and Content of the Betty Ford White House Papers

This collection more heavily documents Betty Ford's activities as First Lady, but includes several series from her time as wife of the Vice President Gerald Ford. It also documents the work of Mrs. Ford's staff on her behalf. The collection consists of twelve series: Local Events File, Trip File, Magazine File, General Subject Files, State Visits and Dinners File, First Lady Personal Correspondence File, First Lady Outgoing Personal Correspondence File, Daily Diary, First Lady and East Wing Staff Outgoing Correspondence File, Second Lady General Subject File, Second Lady Correspondence File, and Christmas Cards.

The Local Events File, Trip File and State Visits and Dinners File series document in some detail Mrs. Ford's public and private activities as First Lady including her participation in state dinners, private parties, public appearances, foreign and domestic trips, campaign efforts, and as spokesperson for several charitable and service organizations. In some cases, the First Lady accompanied the President to these events but more often they were pursued independently. The files reflect Mrs. Ford's planning and involvement in these affairs and the support provided her by East Wing staff members. Most of this material came to Mrs. Ford from staff members, was reviewed and occasionally annotated by her, and incorporated into her personal files by Howe, Chirdon or Porembka.

The Local Events File is not a complete record of Mrs. Ford's activities in the Washington D.C. area. Staff created files only for those events and activities where background, briefing or follow up materials were retained in the First Lady's office for easy reference. The Trip File appears to be complete and reflects The First Lady's activities outside the Washington D.C. area more exhaustively.

The Magazine File for the period from August 1975 until the end of the administration is an excellent reference source for American magazine articles written about Mrs. Ford and the Ford children. It appears to have been compiled by Chirdon and Porembka for office reference use.

Related Materials(May 2017)
Related material can be found in the individual files of the First Lady's staff members: Russell Armentrout, Maria Downs, Elizabeth O'Neill, Susan Porter, Frances Pullen, and Sheila Weidenfeld. The Library also holds the personal papers of Maria Downs, Peter Sorum and Sheila Weidendfeld (currently unprocessed).

Additional material can be found in the White House Social Files, a filing system maintained and shared by the East Wing staff. The White House Central Files is a comparable system used by the West Wing staff for the President, and its Subject File includes material related to social affairs (SO) and Betty Ford and the Ford family (PP 5).

The Betty Ford Personal Papers (currently unprocessed) and the Betty Ford Post-White House Papers contain material related to Betty Ford from other periods in her life.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Local Events File, 1974-77. (Boxes 1-8, 3.5 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, briefing papers, press releases, guest lists, Q's and A's, speeches and programs for dinners and entertainment for many of First Lady Betty Ford's activities in the Washington D.C. area. The material concerns events of both a public and private nature. Included are occasional menus, recipes, and menu cards for White House dinners; detailed information on White House early remarks drafted by Patti Matson, Mrs. Ford's advance person; and memoranda and notes from Maria Downs, social secretary, concerning dinners, receptions and entertainments at the White House. Scattered material in this series has been annotated by Mrs. Ford.

Arranged by date of event.

View container list for this series

Trip File, 1974-77. (Boxes 8-18, 4.8 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, scenarios, schedules, biographies and follow up related to First Lady Betty Ford's trips outside Washington D.C. This includes both foreign and domestic trips where Mrs. Ford accompanied the President or traveled without him such as the campaign trips she took on behalf of her husband, family vacations in Vail, and state visits to Europe and China.

Arranged by date of trip.

View container list for this series

Magazine File, 1975-76. (Boxes 18-27, 3.9 linear feet)
This series consists of entire issues of magazines dating from August 1975 until the end of the administration which include articles on First Lady Betty Ford and the Ford children.

Arranged chronologically.

View container list for this series

First Lady General Subject File, (1967-1973) 1974-76. (Boxes 28-47, 9.2 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence, booklets, calendars, cards, schedules, reports, memoranda, directories, clippings, mail logs, and notes used by First Lady Betty Ford and her staff. Materials relate to Mrs. Ford's schedules, the arts, fashion, social affairs, communications with the East Wing staff and the Curators Office, gifts, events, political issues, family issues, and Mrs. Ford's youth. Also included is information about Gerald Ford's physical exams; organizations with which Mrs. Ford was involved; Ford family schedules; family menus at the White House; and birthday, anniversary, and holiday cards.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

View container list for this series

State Visits and Dinners File, 1974-76. (Boxes 48-51, 1.8 linear feet)
This series consists of memoranda, schedules, guest lists, programs, menus, and reports related to visits of foreign heads of state to the White House. Documents relate to gift exchange, decoration, and entertainment provided during the visits. Materials were provided to First Lady Betty Ford prior to the events for background information or for approval.

Arranged by date of event. General materials are filed at the beginning of the series.

View container list for this series

First Lady Personal Correspondence File, 1974-77. (Boxes 52-61, 4.3 linear feet)
This series consists personal letters written to Betty Ford, many of which are from close, long-time personal friends and family members. A copy of Mrs. Ford's response is included with a majority of the letters. Topics include moving into the White House and the transition to First Lady, Mrs. Ford's cancer diagnosis and hospital stay, clothing designs, White House portraits, the 1976 presidential campaign, the Equal Rights Amendment, the 60 Minutes interview, family, appreciation for gifts and hospitality, birthday and other holiday cards, and other personal issues.

Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

First Lady Outgoing Personal Correspondence File, 1974-77. (Boxes 62-63, 0.8 linear feet)
This series consists of carbon copies of typed, outgoing letters written by Betty Ford, many of which are of a personal nature to family and friends. An occasional photocopy of a handwritten letter from Mrs. Ford is included. Some letters were written by a member of Mrs. Ford's staff on her behalf. Topics include moving into the White House and the transition to First Lady, Mrs. Ford's cancer diagnosis and hospital stay, clothing designs, White House portraits, the 1976 presidential campaign, the Equal Rights Amendment, the 60 Minutes interview, and family and personal issues. It also includes a large number of thank you letters for gifts, hospitality during visits, birthday and other holiday cards. This series includes outgoing letters from the "First Lady Personal Correspondence File" of this collection and appears to include additional correspondence filed in the White House Social Files.

Arranged chronologically by date of letter.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

Daily Diary, 1974 and 1976. (Box 64, 0.3 linear feet)
This series consists of two bound volumes that provide a handwritten record of many of First Lady Betty Ford's daily activities. The first volume documents August 9, 1974 through December 31, 1974; and the second volume documents July 23, 1976 through December 18, 1976 (with gaps). The activities of President Ford and other members of the Ford family are sometimes included in the entries, especially in 1974. There is no diary that documents 1975.

Arranged chronologically.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

First Lady and East Wing Staff Outgoing Correspondence File, 1974-76. (Boxes 65-68, 1.8 linear feet)
This series consists of carbon copies of typed, outgoing letters written by Betty Ford and letters written on Mrs. Ford behalf by Director of Correspondence Elizabeth O'Neill, and Social Secretaries Maria Downs, Nancy Lammerding and Nancy Ruwe. They include letters of congratulations for an event or accomplishment; greetings to individuals and groups; and thank-you letters for support, sharing personal stories of illness or struggle, invitations, gifts, and sharing opinions on a wide variety of subjects. Topics include health, cancer, women's issues, the Equal Rights Amendment, the Bicentennial celebration, and International Women's Year.

Arranged by name of person writing outgoing letter and by date of correspondence thereunder.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

Second Lady General Subject File, 1973-74. (Boxes 69-70, 0.8 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, lists, invitations, lists, forms, publications, speech cards, and other materials related to Betty Ford's activities while Gerald Ford served as Vice President. Topics include abortion, arts and humanities, Mike and Gayle Ford's wedding, recipes, speeches, travel, thank-you letters, and the operation of the Vice President's office. It also includes a chronological set of carbon copies of outgoing general and personal correspondence from Mrs. Ford and her personal assistant, Nancy Howe.

Arranged by alphabetically by subject.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

Second Lady Correspondence File, 1973-74. (Boxes 71-74, 1.8 linear feet)
This series consists of letters, telegrams and greeting cards Betty Ford received from friends, family, organizations and members of the general public while Gerald Ford served as Vice President. Most of the letters include a carbon copy of a response from Mrs. Ford. Some letters were written to both of the Fords, Gerald Ford or a member or their family. Topics include invitations to attend or participate in events, views on issues, congratulations on becoming Vice President, gifts, recipe requests, autograph requests, reminiscing about past events, and other personal topics.

Arranged alphabetically by name of the correspondent.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

Christmas Cards, 1973. (Boxes 75-79, 2.2 linear feet)
This series consists of Christmas cards sent to Vice President and Mrs. Ford during the 1973 holiday season. These cards are from a mixture of government officials, constituents, and personal friends.

Unarranged.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

Telephone Call Logs, 1974-77. (Boxes 80-81, 0.8 linear feet)
This series consists of White House telephone memoranda forms showing First Lady Betty Ford’s daily telephone calls. Handwritten information for each call includes designation of incoming or outgoing, time of day, name of person talked to, and possible action.

Arranged chronologically by date of telephone calls.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy and related reviews.)

View container list for this series

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1 - Local Events File

Box 2 - Local Events File

Box 3 - Local Events File

Box 4 - Local Events File

Box 5 - Local Events File

Box 6 - Local Events File

Box 7 - Local Events File

Box 8 - Local Events File

Box 8 (Continued) - Trip File

Box 9 - Trip File

Box 10 - Trip File

Box 11 - Trip File

Box 12 - Trip File

Box 13 - Trip File

Box 14 - Trip File

Box 15 - Trip File

Box 16 - Trip File

Box 17 - Trip File

Box 18 - Trip File

Box 18 (Continued) - Magazine File

Winter 1975, Life, "The End of a Presidency"
3/17/75, Time, "An Intimate First Family Portfolio"
8/75, Vogue, "The Shah Who Came to Dinner"
8/75, Palm Beach Life, "Betty Ford - Woman of the Year"
8/11/75, U.S. News and World Report, "Ford Looks Ahead"
8/11/75, Newsweek, "Summit in Helsinki"
8/18/75, Newsweek, "The Strain on Betty"
8/25/75, Newsweek, "A Family Affair"
9/75, Town and Country, "The Private Life of the World's Most Public City"

Box 19 - Magazine File

9/75, McCall's, "The Blooming of Betty Ford"
9/1/75, Time, "Exciting Betty"
9/15/75, Time, "The Girl Who Almost Killed Ford"
9/15/75, Newsweek, "It Didn't Go Off"
9/29/75, Time, "Liberty's New Puppies"
10/75, Celebrity, "Betty Ford: How Much Can a First Lady Take?"
10/6/75, Time, "Protecting the President" and "Ford's Second Close Call"
10/20/75, Time, "Jack Ford: My Turn to Sacrifice"
10/20/75, People, "No Jack Armstrong, Bachelor Jack Ford, 23, is Still a 1970's All-American Boy"
10/25/75, Japanese Magazine Concerning the Visit of the Emperorand Empress to the U.S.
11/75, Ladies Home Journal, "Mrs. Ford and the Affair of the Daughter"
11/3/75, Time, "Coming on Like a Cocktail Cowboy"
11/10/75, People, Editorial on Jack Ford
11/17/75, People, "Don Rumsfeld Wins a Mighty New Seat in Ford's Musical Chairs" and "They Kid Presidents Don't They" (About Pearl Bailey)
11/17/75, Time, "Ford's Costly Purge", "These are My Guys", and "Some Cheers for an Underdog"
11/24/75, Time, "The Star Shakes Up the Party" (About the Ronald Reagan Challenge to Ford)
11/24/75, Newsweek, "Can Reagan Stop Ford?"

Box 20 - Magazine File

12/75, Ladies Home Journal, "President Ford's Personal Prayers"
12/75, Palm Beach Life, "The President at Pepperdine"
12/75, Women's Day Magazine
12/1/75, Newsweek, "Betty Ford on the Mary Tyler Moore Show"
12/1/75, Time, "There's No Gilded Cage for Betty"
12/8/75, Time, "Off to China With Betty and Books"
12/8/75, Newsweek, "New China Hand"
12/15/75, Time, "Ford in China: Warm Hosts"
12/21/75, Parade, "The First Family and Christmas Memories"
12/29/75, U.S. News and World Report, "At the White House -- An Old FashionedYule"
12/29/75, Newsweek, "Woman of the Year" and "A Talk with Betty"
12/29/75, Time, "Ford: Trying to Reverse the Slide" and "Oval Office Optimism"
12/29/75, People, "The 25 Most Intriguing People of 1975"

Box 21 - Magazine File

1976, Life, "Remarkable American Women"
1976, New York Press Photographers Annual
Winter 1976, Life, "A Ford Family Album" and "The Gun is Pointed, Your Honor"
1/76, Sun Valley, Photograph of the Fords Skiing in Sun Valley in 1966
1/76, Good Housekeeping, "The Ten Most Admired Women"
1/76, Town and Country, Photographs of the Fords at Vail
1/76-2/76, Women's Work, "The Way It is for ... Carla Anderson Hills" and "From Abigail Adams to Betty Ford"
1/4/76, Enquirer (The Sunday Magazine), "More Than Just a 'Yes-Lady'"
1/5/76, Newsweek, "Gerald Ford -- the Uphill Racer?"
1/5/76, Time, "Women of the Year -- A Dozen Who Made a Difference
2/76, Ladies Home Journal, "Celebrity Exercises"
2/76, McCall's, "How Much Should a First Lady Say?"

Box 22 - Magazine File

2/2/76, Time, "Chris Evert and Her White House Admirer Meeting for a Post-Match Date"
2/9/76, People, Photograph of the President and Suzy Chaffee at Vail
2/9/76, Time, "Jack Ford and Gary Trudeau"
2/16/76, Time, "Hail to the-uh-Campaigner"
2/16/76, People, "Young Love in the White House"
2/23/76, People, "In Icy New Hampshire, Nancy With the Smiling Face is a Primary Asset" (About Nancy Reagan)
3/76, Town and Country, "D.C. Means Dancing Capital"
3/76, Good Housekeeping, "The First Lady Talks About Fashion"
3/76, Sphere, "Dinner at the White House"
3/7/76, New York Times Magazine, "Fords for Ford"
3/8/76, People, "On the Other Side of the Camera" (About Susan Ford)
3/8/76, Time, "On to the Showdown in Florida"
4/76, McCall's, "100th Anniversary Issue"

Box 23 - Magazine File

4/19/76, U.S. News and World Report, "Who Runs America?"
5/76, McCall's, "Betty Ford Talks About Her Mother"
5/76, Ladies Home Journal, "Women of the Year"
5/3/76, Time, "First Mama Using CB Radio"
5/10/76, Time, "Susan Ford and Mohammad Ali"
5/17/76, Time, "Now, the Republican Rumble"
5/31/76, Time, "From France With Much Love"
6/76, Accent Grand Rapids, "Betty's Blooming As First Lady No Surprise to Grand Rapids Friends"
6/14/76, Time, "In Columbus' Footsteps"
7/76, Redbook, "A Message from Betty Ford on ERA"
7/76, Ladies Home Journal, "The Next First Lady"

Box 24 - Magazine File

7/76, Ms., "Remember the Ladies Exhibit"
7/76, McCall's, "How We Entertain in the White House"
7/76, Graphic Arts Monthly, cover
7/4/76, Newsweek, Bicentennial Issue
7/4/76, Washington Post, Special Bicentennial Magazine Issue
7/5/76, People, "Susan on the Water Slide at Disney World"
7/12/76, People, "First Daughter as Fist Lady"
7/19/76, Time, "A Glittering Courtesy Call" (Queen Elizabeth's Visit)
8/76, Good Housekeeping, "Betty Ford Talks About Homemaking"
8/76, Ladies Home Journal, "Growing Up in the White House"
8/2/76, People
8/2/76, Newsweek, "The Ford - Reagan Psy-War"
8/9/76, Time, "Ford Closes In"
8/9/76, Newsweek, "First-Family Friction"
8/23/76, People, "Does He or Doesn't He Like the White House? Only Jack Ford Knows"

Box 25 - Magazine File

8/30/76, Time, "Come Out Swinging"
9/76, The Saturday Evening Post, "Ten-Four, First Mama"
9/13/76, Newsweek, "Sizing Up Carter - Special Report"
9/27/76, Newsweek, "Prepping Ford"
10/76, Ladies Home Journal, "Our Private Life in the White House"
10/4/76, Time, "The Ford - Carter Character Test"
10/5/76, Newsweek, "The Race - Stay Tuned"
10/11/76, Time, "Campaigning with Betty, Rosalynn and the Kids"
10/11/76, Newsweek, "The No-Win Campaign"
10/11/76, People, "... and Betty's Got Beer"
10/18/76, Time, "Ford's Setback" and "Grand Rapids, Michigan as a Character Witness"

Box 26 - Magazine File

10/18/76, U.S. News and World Report, "Betty vs. Rosalynn - Life on the Campaign Trail"
10/18/76, Newsweek, "How Good a President?"
10/25/76, Newsweek, "Sputtering Down the Stretch"
10/25/76, People, "A Presidential Debate at the College of William and Mary -- But Who Were They?"
10/25/76, Time, "The Campaign - Bitter, Not Better, Down the Stretch"
10/31/76, Family Weekly, "Why I Should Be Your President"
10/31/76, Parade, "Ford and Carter Talk About Themselves"
10/31/76, Washington Post Potomac Magazine, "1976 Election"
11/1/76, Time, "Voting Your Pocketbook"
11/2/76, News and Comment
11/2/76, News and Comment, Election Endorsements (1)
11/2/76, News and Comment, Election Endorsements (2)

Box 27 - Magazine File

11/8/76, Time, "Ford: It's a Horse Race"
11/8/76, Newsweek, "The Last Hurrah"
11/15/76, Newsweek, "Election Special - The New Look"
11/15/76, U.S. News and World Report, "What Carter Will Do As President"

Box 28 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 29 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 30 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 31 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 32 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 33 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 34 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 35 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 36 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 37 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 38 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 39 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 40 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 41 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 42 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 43 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 44 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 45 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 46 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 47 - First Lady General Subject File

Box 48 - State Visits and Dinners File

Box 49 - State Visits and Dinners File

Box 50 - State Visits and Dinners File

Box 51 - State Visits and Dinners File

Box 52 - First Lady Personal Correspondence File