#5: Betty Ford
“You never know what you can do until you have to do it.”
Betty Ford was a formidable personality who fearlessly tackled contentious issues. She openly acknowledged her mental health treatment, championed women’s equality, suggested premarital sex could reduce divorces, and supported the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.
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In 1974, her candid revelation about her battle with breast cancer marked her as one of the first First Ladies to share her health struggles with the public. Betty Ford also confronted drug and alcohol addiction, eventually overcoming it and co-founding the Betty Ford Center for Substance Abuse. In 1991, George H.W. Bush honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her significant contributions to addiction awareness and rehabilitation.