Elizabeth Bloomer was born on April 8, 1918 in Chicago, IL. Her family came to Grand Rapids, MI in 1920. When she was eight years old, she began dancing at the Calla Travis Dance School of Grand Rapids. Betty Bloomer graduated from the school as a normal graduate in 1936.

Her dance studies took her to New York for a time where she studied under Martha Graham, but she eventually returned to Grand Rapids in 1941 because her mother put a lot of pressure on her to come home. However she is listed in a dance program as an associate director at the school in May 1940. She was then hired back as a dance instructor in Calla Travis's school.

Betty married William C. Warren in 1942 and they divorced in 1947. She continued to go by Betty Warren until her marriage to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. on October 15, 1948.

Her friendship with Kay Sousa Clark began at the Calla Travis studio. They were both instructors there. Bloomer specifically taught modern, ballet, toe, tap and social dancing. Betty and Kay continued their friendship well into Betty's marriage to Gerald R. Ford, and Kay even helped out with Ford's first campaign. According to the Grand Rapids Accent (June 1976), Ford worked with Kay to form the Grand Rapids Concert Dance Group for which Mrs. Ford designed the choreography and costumes. They also “pioneered liturgical dancing” at Fountain Street Church. “Mrs. Ford also succeeded Kay as summer dance instructor for two seasons at Camp Bryn Afon, an exclusive girls' camp near Rhinelander, Wisconsin.”

Betty and Gerald Ford spent the first years of their marriage in Grand Rapids.

Look for Betty Ford under Betty Bloomer, Betty Bloomer Ford, Betty Ford, Betty Warren, and Mrs. William C. Warren.

She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Travis. In 1888, the family lived on Ottawa St. in Grand Rapids and Calla Travis was a student at Central High School. Her sisters' friends would come over to her home to dance. Calla Travis began teaching dance classes in 1890 in people's homes. In 1891 she studied with A. B. Bournique in Chicago. In 1893 she entered boarding school at the Private Episcopal Boarding School located on the Akeley family estate in Grand Haven. She taught dancing at the school as both a student and teacher. She graduated from Akeley Hall in 1895 and established a more complete course for summer school at Belvedere Club also in 1895. In 1896 she was back in Grand Rapids and was invited to teach dance at the Y.W.C.A. On Division Street.

Miss Travis kept detailed scrapbooks and albums chronicling the years of her formal dance school. Several of these scrapbooks and albums appear in this collection.

“A Golden Anniversary” article appeared in The Grand Rapids Mirror vol. 7 #4 May/June 1941, marking the 50th anniversary of the Calla Travis School of Dancing.

Miss Travis wrote original dance instruction pamphlets that gained popularity both in the United States and abroad. In the 1941 Mirror article, the author mentions that Miss Travis was planning on publishing her “Graded School System” in book form.

Calla Travis died at age 82 (85?) in 1955 in La Jolla, CA. Her obituary appears in the Grand Rapids Press on February 3, 1955 and in the Grand Rapids Herald on February 5, 1955. Both obituaries are included in her biography folder in Box 2 Folder 1. According to her Grand Rapids Press obituary, Calla Travis ended her teaching career in 1948 after 58 years of dance instruction.

Kathryn (Kay) Sousa Bower Clark (donor, friend of Betty Bloomer Ford, dance student and instructor at Calla Travis school of dance).

[Elizabeth] Kathryn C. Sousa Bower (ca. 1907/1908-1999), was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James McKesson Bower, 548 Lafayette Ave., S.E. She had one brother, John M. Bower, Jr., (b. ca. 1908). John M. Bower, Sr. (b. ca. 1867) apparently had his own business, J. M. Bower, LTD. Dry Kiln Engineers, The Bower Improved Vapor Kiln. This business was located at 7693 Rogers Avenue, Chicago, IL (evidence for this can be found in Box 10 Folder 26). Kathryn's mother, Elsie [Elizabeth J?] Sousa Bower (b. ca. 1869), was the sister of the nationally known musician, military band leader and march composer John Philips Sousa. From the collection and Federal census records, it appears that Kathryn went by Elizabeth in her younger years and began going by Kathryn between 1920 and 1930.

“Dibbie” [Elizabeth] Bower appears in the Calla Travis Album 1910-1943 and other materials (loose photographs), and in her correspondence with Harry S. Hamilton, she signs her name “Dibbie,” and he addresses her as “Dibbie.” She followed Hamilton's dancing career closely.

Clipping of Elizabeth with violin? Sousa playing in GR. Mrs. Sousa, visiting from home at Port Washington, Long Island. (Clipping, scrapbook. Herald. Noble photo. n.d.

Later, Elizabeth Bower moves to Chicago. Sister, Mrs. John Philip P??? of Alliance Ohio (Clipping)

1925-1927 Calla Travis program gives Elizabeth Bower, but no Kathryn. 1927 program lists Elizabeth Bower as a Normal School Graduate of 1925.

Jan. 1928 Toledo clipping has Kathryn living with family in Toledo at 3435 Gladstone Ave. Mother (Mrs. James) is sister of John Philips Sousa.

Census has Kathryn with family in Chicago in 1910, age 3; in 1930, age 22. The 1920 census lists Elizabeth S. Bower living with family in Grand Rapids.

The 1930 census lists Kathryn S. Bower living with her parents in Chicago in the Ingram Apartments.

Program has Kathryn performing in plays at North Shore Little Theatre, Evanston. 1934.

In 1936 dance program Miss Kathryn S. Bower welcomed on as school secretary and associate director. Lists that she taught both in Toledo and Chicago and danced professionally in Chicago Club work. She worked at Camp Bryn Afon for 8 years prior to 1936 as head of the dancing department.

Wedding announcement clipping, Jan. 5, 1937, of a December 1936 wedding in Chicago of Kathryn Sousa Bower to Kermmit L. De Freest of Grand Rapids, son of Mrs. Laurel deFreest of Hollywood, CA (formerly GR). Lists Kathryn working for Calla Travis studio. DeFreest may also have been a member of the American Society of Teachers of Dancing. A booklet from their convention in August 1937 in Chicago has been separated from the collection.

In the mid 1940s Mrs. Kay Sousa deFreest takes over the Calla Travis School of Dancing, and in 1953, the school changes names from Calla Travis School of Dancing to Miss Kay's School of Dancing.

Clipping about 50th Year of Calla Travis. “Mrs. Kathryn deFreest (Mrs. Kermit L.), assistant to Miss Travis and a graduate of the class of 1925, is chairman for alumni committee for the anniversary tribute fund. Mrs. DeFreest has invited the following alumnae to assist her: Mrs. John M. Brower ...

It appears that the deFreests divorced and both later remarried. Collins C. Clark's wife Olive Tuller Clark died on May 25, 1963. The 1963 Grand Rapids City Directory lists Collins C. Clark's wife as Olive T. The 1964 Directory lists Kathryn S. as his wife, so they were married sometime between Olive's death and the publication of the 1964 Directory. Collins served in the Army Air Force during WWII.

In the June 1976 issue of the Grand Rapids Accent, Kay Clark speaks about her relationship with Betty Bloomer Ford. Kay and her husband Collins lived in the Bloomer's old family home at 636 Fountain St. SE in Grand Rapids. Additionally, she helped Betty Bloomer obtain a scholarship to attend a summer dance class in Vermont at Bennington Junior College. They also created a dance group together called the Grand Rapids Concert Dance Group. Kay also “helped and eventually ended up heading the women's division” of Gerald Ford's first campaign.

Kay Sousa Clark died March 8, 1999 at age 91. Her obituary appears in the Grand Rapids Press on Sunday March 14, 1999 and is included in her biography folder in Box 1 Folder 1.