Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at 93

Betty Ford, wife of former President Gerald Ford and founder of the drug and alcohol center in her name, has died, CNN.com reports. She was 93.

Ford, who served as the First Lady from 1974 to 1977, died Friday evening surrounded by family.

Ford wed the future president in 1948 and was a strong supporter in her husband's campaign for Congress. Gerald, who died in 2006, served in Washington for 25 years before becoming the leader of the United States.

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During his presidency, Betty Ford made headlines as a proponent for breast cancer and an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment. She was even named Newsweek's "Woman of the Year" in 1975. One year after leaving the White House, Ford made headlines for a different reason when she checked into Long Beach Naval Hospital to be treated for alcohol and painkiller abuse.

After struggling with her own addictions, in October 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, Calif., with philanthropist Leonard Firestone. The famous clinic has treated a long list of celebrities that includes rocker Ozzy Osbourne, country star Keith Urban and Community star Chevy Chase.

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