Thanks Trevor G and kelvray for your input. I was able to use the macro recorder to get part of what I needed and then added a line code to complete it. The solution is as follows:
1. Add section break at the top of the document. By default, this associates the first page header/footer with Section 1. (That is all I needed to protect.)
2. Include the following code lines:
ActiveDocument.Sections(1).ProtectedForForms = True
ActiveDocument.Sections(2).ProtectedForForms = False
ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyFormFields
3. If you plan to use the same document again, it is necessary to unlock the document before edits are possible. (Passwords can be used both with .Protect and .Unprotect.)
If ActiveDocument.ProtectionType <> wdNoProtection Then ActiveDocument.Unprotect