By WKTV Staff
A free conference commemorating the enduring influence of first ladies in American history will be held at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on Friday, April 26 at 2:15 p.m. Titled “In Celebration of Betty Ford’s 50th Anniversary as First Lady,” the conference will feature a special focus on the remarkable contributions of Betty Ford.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, in partnership with the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) and American University School of Public Affairs, are joining together to host this free public event.
National experts and enlightening conversations
The half-day event is FLARE’s first national conference. It will feature two panels and focus on Betty Ford’s leadership as first lady.
National experts on First Ladies will include Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President and Betty Ford; Anita McBride, second term chief of staff for Laura Bush; and other celebrated women who have published books on first ladies.
Attendees can expect enlightening conversations about the pivotal roles Betty Ford and other first ladies play in our nation’s history.
A pioneer of First Ladies
“We remember Betty Ford as the pioneer who started the systematic academic study of First Ladies,” said Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. “We are proud to host the 40-year commemoration of a great event that took place right here on the Ford stage in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”
This conference builds upon the legacy of the historic 1984 conference, convened and moderated
by Mrs. Ford herself, which explored the multifaceted responsibilities and impacts of first ladies.
“Hosting the FLARE conference underscores our commitment to fostering collaboration, empowering women’s voices and honoring the lasting legacy of the indomitable Betty Ford,” said Brooke Clement, Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum.
FLARE serves as the primary association to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and outreach among scholars, institutions, first ladies’ staff, biographers, archivists, journalists, and public historians interested in research and education about the lasting legacies of U.S. First Ladies.
“FLARE is honored to host its first national conference with our esteemed partners, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and American University’s School of Public Affairs,” said FLARE President Nancy Kegan Smith.
“This landmark event brings together an accomplished group of first ladies’ scholars, family, staff and the public to commemorate Betty Ford’s leadership, her groundbreaking conference on first ladies in 1984 and the important contributions of First Ladies.”
A celebration of groundbreaking leadership
The conference will feature national experts, including:
- Susan Ford Bales, Author and daughter of President Gerald R. and Betty Ford.
- Diana Carlin, Professor Emerita of St. Louis University. She is co-author of U.S. First Ladies:
Making History and Leaving Legacies and Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s
History-Making Women. - Brooke Clement, Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum.
- Dr. Stacy Cordery, Professor of History, Iowa State University, Author, and Bibliographer.
- Myra Gutin, Professor Emerita of Communication at Rider University. She is the author of The
President’s Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century and Barbara Bush: Presidential
Matriarch. - Lisa McCubbin Hill, Journalist and author of Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor,
Trailblazer, and co-author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me; Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with
Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford; and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy. - Alison Jacknowitz, Interim Dean of the School of Public Affairs at American University and
Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. - Anita McBride, Executive in Residence at American University, School of Public Affairs and
Director of the First Ladies Initiative, and second term Chief of Staff to Laura Bush. She is co-author
of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies and Remember the First Ladies: The
Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. - Nancy Kegan Smith, Former Director of the Presidential Materials Division at the National
Archives and Records Administration. She is co-author of U.S. First Ladies: Making History and
Leaving Legacies and Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. - Sheila Rabb Weidenfeld, Mrs. Ford’s Press Secretary, an Emmy-award-winning television
producer, diplomat, and Chair of the C&O Canal Commission. She is the author of the book, First
Lady’s Lady.
*Seating is limited. Registration is open to the public until April 23 or until the event is filled.
