Tireless campaigner for childhood vaccinations, and former first lady of Arkansas, Betty Bumpers, dies at 93

  • Bumpers, a former first lady of Arkansas, worked to ensure pre-school children were vaccinated against common but potentially fatal diseases
  • She joined forces with former first ladies Rosalynn Carter and Hilary Clinton to  expand the program to every state across the U.S.
  • Bumpers died on Friday from complications of dementia
  • She was credited with reducing the number of preventable infections in the 70s and 80s

By Chantalle Edmunds For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Betty Bumpers, a former first lady of Arkansas, who mounted a tireless national campaign to ensure children received pre-school immunizations, has died at the age of 93.

Bumpers, who was from Grand Prairie, Arkansas, and an elementary school teacher, died from complications of dementia on Friday, according to The New York Times. She had been in failing health and had recently sustained a hip fracture.

Her work to prevent children contracting common but potentially fatal diseases like measles, mumps and diphtheria began when her husband, Dale L. Bumpers, a liberal Democrat and a relative unknown, became Arkansas governor in 1970.

Betty Bumpers, a former first lady of Arkansas, who mounted a tireless national campaign to ensure children received pre-school immunizations, has died at the age of 93

Betty Bumpers, a former first lady of Arkansas, who mounted a tireless national campaign to ensure children received pre-school immunizations, has died at the age of 93

Starting out as first lady of Arkansas, Bumpers was shocked to learn that tens of thousands of Arkansas children had not been inoculated against a number of diseases. 

She pioneered an immunization campaign called Every Child by 1974 which was credited with increasing vaccination rates in Arkansas.

In the mid and late 1970s Bumpers expanded her mission outside of Arkansas and to other states.  

Bumpers and then first lady, Rosalynn Carter, led a state-by-state campaign promoting pre-school immunizations. Programs were enacted and proof of vaccinations became mandatory before children could enroll in kindergarten in public schools. 

She pioneered an immunization campaign called Every Child by '74 which was credited with increasing vaccination rates in Arkansas

She pioneered an immunization campaign called Every Child by '74 which was credited with increasing vaccination rates in Arkansas

Former President Bill Clinton, a former Arkansas governor, paid his respects on Friday

Former President Bill Clinton, a former Arkansas governor, paid his respects on Friday

The Centers for Disease Control in 1980 reported that disease among public school children was 'at or near record low levels.'

Bumpers galvanized her efforts along with former first lady Rosalynn Carter after the measles outbreak in 1991 that infected 55,000 people and led to the deaths of over a 100.

They started a nonprofit campaign, Every Child by Two, to encourage immunizations for mumps, measles, rubella and other illnesses by the age of 2. 

Later she worked on immunization programs with fellow former Arkansas first lady Hillary Clinton.

Former President Bill Clinton tweeted on Friday: 'Hillary and I treasured our friendship with Betty Bumpers.'

Bumpers galvanized her efforts along with Rosalynn Carter. They started a nonprofit campaign, Every Child by Two to encourage immunizations at a younger age. Later she worked with fellow former Arkansas first lady Hillary Clinton

Bumpers galvanized her efforts along with Rosalynn Carter. They started a nonprofit campaign, Every Child by Two to encourage immunizations at a younger age. Later she worked with fellow former Arkansas first lady Hillary Clinton

Bumpers' endeavors earned her numerous accolades from humanitarian organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Bumpers was also concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the risks of nuclear war as relations became strained between Washington and Moscow.

In 1982, she founded Peace Links with other congressional wives. Peace Links sought to bring together women in the United States and in the then-Soviet Union to help reduce the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to promote diplomatic efforts to world conflicts.     

Dale Bumpers died aged 90 in 2016. Betty Bumpers is survived by her sons, Brent and Bill, and seven grandchildren.

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