It’s American Heart Month! On February 12, 1976, Betty Ford was a special guest at the 28th annual “Affair of the Heart” luncheon sponsored by the Woman’s Board of the Washington Heart Association. The 1,400 attendee event raised money for heart research programs and was held at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, DC.
In addition to the charity luncheon, the event also included a fashion show1 sponsored by Bloomingdale’s department store featuring a special preview of the Spring/Summer collection by Ralph Lauren. Mrs. Ford wore a Ralph Lauren dress to the heart association event.
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Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
The designer and his wife, Ricky, later attended a state dinner at the White House in honor of the King and Queen of Spain on June 2, 1976.
In her statement included in the event program brochure, Mrs. Ford wrote: “May your enjoyment of today’s fashions be deepened by the knowledge that your ‘Affair of the Heart’ continues to give the precious gift of health to those whom you have made your special concern.”
Betty Ford White House Papers, Box 5, “2-12-76 Heart Association Luncheon.”
NAID: 4515812
Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
The “Affair of the Heart” event is ongoing to this day and has been attended by other First Ladies before and since Mrs. Ford, including Mamie Eisenhower and Rosalynn Carter.
Author: Lauren White
- To see photographs taken during the fashion show on February 12, 1976, visit: a8319_nlgrf.jpg (2232×1656) ↩︎
