Digitized from Box 1 of the Maria Downs Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library MY VERY SPECIAL LADY --- BETTY FORD By Haria DOvms A recent request from the Gerald R. Ford Library for assistance and information regarding the manner in which President and Mrs. Ford entertained during their tenure at the White House involked many fond memories which I thought might be interesting to share with you. The social side of the White House plays a very important role in accom­ plishing the goals of an Administration --- much as a charming savvy spouse assists with the advancement of a partner's pursuits. The partnership of Betty and Jerry Ford in hosting foreign and domestic dignitaries as well as people in general can best be described as an endeavor of love --- with love being defined by the late Fred Allen as II what makes the world go round ------- with a worried expression. 1I Surprised by that last remark? So am I. It sounds more like something Betty Ford would say rather than something I would write about them --- but as I said earlier --- there are many fond memories, many humorous tales and even a few tears involved in working for and working with a very special lady. The Ford Library turned to me for assistance because I was the White House Social Secretary for President and Mrs. Ford. Let me explain a little bit about what White House Social Secretaries are and what they do. To begin with we are a rather rare breed ot."hlT-ds --- there have been only seven White House Soci al Secretaries in the history of our country. The custom began under the Franklin Roosevelt Administration. You serve at the pleasure of the President and the First Lady and are considered a part of the senior White House staff with a Presidential Commission. Your major responsibility is to work with the First Lady in the overall planning, arrangements, co-ordination and direction of all official and per?onal social events given by the President and his family. My Very Special Lady -2 This includes the form and wording of invitations, compiling of guest lists, setting of menus, the choice of entertainment and the theme of each event just to mention a few of the duties. There are a wide range of events which are covered under the umbrella of the social side of the White House. They are represented in part by state dinners, diplomatic affairs, receptions, luncheons, holiday balls and what we called special dinners. Special dinners are occasions honoring someone or something in particular such as the Congress, the Judiciary, the Governors or the Medal of Freedom recipients ( the Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award given by the President). The "working" dinner falls under the category of special dinners. In many instances it involves a visiting head of state, the President and pertinent members of their staffs who meet to discuss business over dinner. It is generally a small group (under 12) and does not include spouses. Many times, Mrs. Ford and I laughed over the term II working II dinner ---- to us, every dinner was a working dinner ---- for someone. My job as White House Social Secretary was made immeasurably easier because of Mrs. Ford. I say this because she is a person blessed with a flair for origi­ nality, an eye for beauty and the dramatic but is always practical and very consi­ derate. She has a way of lending a final touch of elegance to everything she does. I learned much from Mrs. Ford. I had been Social Secretary less than three weeks before my first State Dinner was upon me. A State Dinner was once described by a reporter as a Soci a 1 Secretary's II tria 1 under fi re II , actually it was but to use the same reporter's words again --- it also is one of the White House's II grandest occasions ". A State Dinner is part of an official state visit which gives the President and the First Lady the opportunity to honor the visiting head of state and his mate. It is a courtesy --- an expression of good will --- our way of extending hospitality. It brings to mind the old tradition of breaking bread with one's friends to seal a friendship. A State Dinner is usually fOllowed~J,~~.al-<J,?~". ". (' \ ~\ .~~ '., i"t; My Very Special Lady -3 reciprocal event the following evening. The particular State Dinner I am referring to was in honor of His Excellency The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Mrs. al - Sadat. Before I tell you more about the Sadat dinner let me describe briefly some of the offices and people within the White House who assist in putting it all together. You will hear me referring to the East Wing and the West Wing of the White House. The First Lady's staff as well as the Military Aides office and the Tour office were house:Ain the East Wing. The President's Chief of Staff and key senior White House aides were located in the West Wing. The space in those two wings was very limited, most White House staffers having offices in the Executive Office Building across the way from the West Wing. The Chief Usher of the White House is Rex Scouten, one of the most dedicated people I have ever met. The term angel describes him amply. The Chief Usher is responsible for the care and maintenance of the White HOuse and it's grounds. His staff includes several assistants, the maitre d', butlers, chefs, maids, housekeepers, electricians, carpenters, florists, groundkeepers, etc. Without these fine people the White House would not I'\WJ. ¢,5:~~''',~'C:A~,:, The Military Aides office has a myriad of responsibilities for the President and his family. Why they were located in the East Wing with the First Lady's staff I will never know--- you never knew what to expect when you ventured down to the Military Aide's end of the hall. They were a good group --- they always kept moral up and managed to see the humorous side of a situation --- and if there wasn't one they created one --- sort of a White House M.A.S.H. operation. This office was made up of the President's three military aides, one each from the Army, the Navy and the Marines. The office was run by a crusty former Marine and manned by personnel fr~m _ " \" > ~ ,: N {/ " the various Services. We worked closely and most of the time harmoniously w'icth them::: , .:;., r;:1 i. The Military did many things for us including providing the music for all of",:;.; our My Very Special Lady -4 events and ceremonies. The Services have some of the finest musicians in the country. They have performed with many renowned artists at the White House. The day President Ford presented Arthur Fiedler with the Medal of Freedom, he conducted the Marine Band which was playing for the occasion. Arthur Rubenstein, another Medal of Freedom recipient had many kind words for their talents. The Military Social Aides, a group of young men and women from all the Services are an invaluable part of the support staff from the Military. These people serve as aides on a volunteer basis in addition to their regular Ill·ilitary duties. They assisted at all events but were indispensable at State O·inners. They served as representatives of the President and the First Lady --- representatives they were very proud of. I donlt know if any of the other Social Secretaries worked as closely with the National Security Council as I did --- this is not as ominous as it sounds. The National Security Council was there primarily to serve and advise the President on affairs of national security. The gentleman who headed the National Security Council) General Brent Scowcroft, was one of those one in a million type people. He was always willing to take the extra step --- exert the extra effort. You felt quite secure knowing he was in that position. The purpose of this article is not to eulogize certain people but there truly were some very exceptional human beings 1.,~ g: :..,t ~.;.~;.. ~; .1t•.'f; -f' t\ ;~ -,j>\~ ,r;} ,~::' ~ ~. ;'.-t ;., i·· surrounding the President and the First Lady. I feel i~~ part of the ~ite House and itls story. Whenever I had a ticklish situation the II Little General II as we affectionately called him, always seemed to have a logical solution. He was ex­ ceptionally good at handling Henry Kissinger. Everytime a compliment was expressed to me regarding an event we were in­ volved with, I quietly thanked Heaven for my great staff. With the exception of the work the call igraphers did everyone on my ·immediate staff was a jack-of-all-trades and most pleasant about it. Our full time volunteer spent more hours in the office than at home --- as did everyone else it seems. My Very Special Lady -5 Now, letls begin creating a State Dinner. Our initial involvement began with a call from General Scowcroft1s office at the National Security Council advising us of an upcoming visit. We in turn checked with the Chief Usher1s office to make sure there was no conflict with other events. We then made up a sample invitation providing several options as to dress for the occasion. These choices included business suit, black tie or white tie. These options and many of the details involved in a state dinner serve as symbolic significances watched closely by those involved.