Barbara took an emotional toll from her husband's electoral defeat

George ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1970, and was again unsuccessful. As with the previous Senate race, Barbara took an emotional toll from her husband's electoral defeat. She also decided to stop dyeing her hair after her dye ran during a campaign trip, instead maintaining the white hair that would become a recognizable part of her public image. After George lost his campaign, President Richard Nixon appointed him the United States ambassador to the United Nations. A large apartment was provided as a residence for the UN ambassador, providing them a home in New York City. She particularly enjoyed sharing this period of her husband's career, as it provided the couple with extensive social opportunities. This also allowed her to form relationships with prominent diplomats. While in New York, she volunteered each week at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where her daughter had been treated for leukemia years before.