Quotes

[on her radical mastectomy in November 1976] No! Oh no -heavens, no. I've heard women say they'd rather lose their right arm, and I can't imagine it. It's so stupid. I can ever wear my evening clothes. Go as quickly as possible and get it done. Once it's done, put it behind you and go on with your life.

[on her husband's career and her life] Now I know that some of the pain was trying to wipe out was emotional on one hand, I loved being 'the wife of'; and on the other hand, I was convinced that the more important Jerry became, the less important I became.

[on the Betty Ford Center] It's hard to make anyone understand what it's like to have your name on something, to be given credit for things you haven't done. I've been at meetings where someone turned and thanked me and I hugged the person and said 'Don't thank me, thank yourself, you're the one who did it with God's help.' From the beginning, we have wanted every patient at the center to feel, 'I'm important here I have some dignity.'

[on her husband pardoning former President Nixon] I think it had to be done.

[on her marriage and family] From the outside, our life looked like a Norman Rockwell illustration. I'd lost my feeling of self-worth. I think a lot of women go through this. Their husbands have fascinating jobs, their children start to turn into independent people and the women begin to feel useless and empty.

[on her divorce] No one ever bothered to ask.

[on President Ford's engagement] He's a very shy man and he really didn't tell me he loved me. He just told me he'd like to marry me--I took him up on it immediately.

[on Washington DC life] We came to Washington for 2 years and stayed for 28.

[on the Presidential campaign] through clenched teeth, I don't want anyone to come over and talk to me. I just want to sit here all alone and finish this cigarette.

[on her legacy] I am an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time. I was no different once I became first lady than I had been before. But through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people.

I know I was an alcoholic because I was preoccupied whether alcohol was going to be served or not.