Betsy Bloomingdale (born Betty Lee Newling; August 2, 1922, Los Angeles, California) is an American socialite and philanthropist. She is the widow of businessman Alfred S. Bloomingdale, heir to the department store chain.
Betty Lee Newling was born and raised in a socially prominent Los Angeles family. She is a frequent party host, many for charity, being dubbed "Good Queen Betts".
Mrs. Bloomingdale is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, currently residing in Holmby Hills. A practicing Roman Catholic, she has been involved in fundraising projects for the Los Angeles Cathedral. She also contributed to the funding for the development of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Her life and marriage and her husband's well-publicized affair were the basis of Dominick Dunne's novel An Inconvenient Woman. Bloomingdale remained friendly with Dunne, appearing with him at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2006. Other friends include Nancy Reagan, Joan Collins and Nan Kempner.
In 2007, Bloomingdale took part in presenting fashion designer James Galanos with the Rodeo Drive Style Award, and attended the opening of "Nancy Reagan: A First Lady's Style", an exhibit chronicling Nancy Reagan's different clothing at the Reagan Presidential Library.
In 2009, Bloomingdale was the subject of an exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The exhibit called, "High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture" displayed 60 Haute Couture gowns that she had collected since the 1960s.
Famous quotes containing the word betsy:
“Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike.
Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,”
—Unknown. Sweet Betsey from Pike (l. 1–2)