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Susan Ford Bales
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Susan Elizabeth Ford Bales (née Ford; formerly Vance; born July 6, 1957) is an American author, photojournalist, and former chair of the board of the Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug abuse. She is the only daughter of Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, and his wife Betty Ford (née Bloomer).
Key Information
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Biography
[edit]Youth
[edit]Ford is the youngest child, and only daughter, of former U.S. President Gerald Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford. As a teenager attending the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, she held her senior prom, for the class of 1975, in the East Room of the White House.[1] She served as official White House hostess when her mother was hospitalized for breast cancer.
Ford enrolled in Mount Vernon College for Women (now part of the George Washington University) in northwest Washington, D.C., in 1975 when her father was in the White House. She later briefly attended the University of Kansas for the spring semester of 1977, but did not graduate.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Bales trained as a photographer and worked as a photojournalist for the Associated Press, Newsweek, Money Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, The Topeka Capital-Journal, the Omaha Sun and also freelanced.[4] She was hired to shoot publicity stills for the film Jaws 2,[5] with many appearing in Ray Loynd's book Jaws 2 Log.[6]
In 1992, she became a member of the board of the Betty Ford Center and in 2005 became chair of the organization. She succeeded her mother, who remained a board member.[7]
Writings
[edit]In 2002, Bales wrote, with Laura Hayden, a novel, Double Exposure: A First Daughter Mystery, with a contemporary White House setting; in 2005, a sequel, Sharp Focus, was published.
Public events
[edit]Bales attended the December 26, 2006 – January 3, 2007 state funeral services and ceremonies for her father with her mother, and over the course of several days greeted mourners while President Ford's casket lay in state on the Lincoln catafalque in the Capitol Rotunda and during the public repose at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[8] She read a passage from the Epistle of James during the funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral, and her daughter Tyne Berlanga offered one of the prayers during the funeral service at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids.[9] In addition, on January 1, she assisted her mother in receiving dignitaries and official visitors who had come to Blair House, the presidential guest house in Washington, to pay their respects.
On January 16, 2007, Bales spoke at a naming ceremony at the Pentagon[10] for the aircraft carrier CVN-78, which was officially named the Gerald R. Ford. That same day, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter announced that Bales had been named the carrier's ceremonial sponsor. On November 14, 2009, Bales participated in the keel laying for the ship.[11][12]
On June 11, 2007, she delivered remarks in Washington at the unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service's commemorative stamp honoring President Ford. In July 2007, Bales represented her mother at the funeral service of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson; in the same month, she and her husband Vaden Bales represented Mrs. Ford and the Ford family at the naming of the Gerald R. Ford Post Office in Vail, Colorado.
On November 9, 2013, she christened the Gerald R. Ford with a bottle of sparkling water.[13]
On April 8, 2016, during a change of command ceremony aboard USS Gerald R. Ford and in recognition of her "extraordinary service as CVN 78 Ship Sponsor", she was named an honorary naval aviator by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, thus becoming only the 31st person to receive this honor, and the first woman ever to be so honored.[14] The ship was commissioned as USS Gerald R. Ford on July 22, 2017, with Bales in attendance to give the order, "Man our ship, and bring her to life."
In 2018, Bales represented the Ford family at the funerals of President George H.W. and First Lady Barbara Bush.
Personal life
[edit]Susan E. Ford married Charles Vance, one of her father's former U.S. Secret Service agents, on February 10, 1979. For a time, they operated a private security company in Washington. They have two daughters, Tyne Mary Vance (born 1980) and Heather Elizabeth Vance (born 1983). Susan and Charles Vance were divorced in 1988. Susan married attorney Vaden Bales on July 25, 1989. They lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1997, where they lived for nearly 12 years before returning to Tulsa in 2009. They divorced in 2018 and Bales relocated to McKinney, Texas.
In Betty Ford's Betty – A Glad Awakening, her mother credits Susan with having orchestrated an intervention in 1982 after the Ford family became concerned with her drinking, addictions and behavior.[15] In 1984, along with her mother, Bales helped launch National Breast Cancer Awareness Month[16] with a joint appearance in an ad campaign.
In 2010, at age 53, Bales went into sudden cardiac arrest while exercising on an elliptical machine. She had no prior knowledge that she had heart disease. Bales says she was "extremely lucky" that while she was in the gym, a surgeon was "walking up the steps" and "shocked" her back. She was revived with an automated external defibrillator. After her recovery, she was given a heart stent and pacemaker. She spoke of the experience on June 4, 2013, at the American Heart Association's Heart Ball in Grand Rapids.[17]
Bales endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for President in the 2024 election.[18]
Cultural depictions
[edit]Susan Ford had a significant role in the Showtime television series The First Lady, in which she is portrayed by Dakota Fanning.[19]
Bibliography
[edit]- Degregorio, William A., The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents (5th edition), Barricade Books, Fort Lee, New Jersey, 2001.
- Wead, Doug, All the President's Children, Atria Books, New York, 2003, ISBN 0-7434-4631-3
References
[edit]- ^ "Senior Prom at the White House". Ghosts of DC. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
- ^ Maines, Sophia (December 28, 2006). "First daughter briefly attended KU". Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrence, Kansas. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
Ford enrolled at KU for the spring semester of 1977, studying photojournalism.
- ^ Clifford, Garry (June 22, 1981). "The Agent of Change in Susan Ford's Life Has Been Hubby Chuck Vance". People. 15 (24). Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "'Double Exposure'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008.
- ^ Kachmar, Diane C. (2002). Roy Scheider: A Film Biography. McFarland. p. 76. ISBN 0-7864-1201-1.
- ^ Loynd, Ray (1978). The Jaws 2 Log. London: W. H. Allen. ISBN 0-426-18868-3.
- ^ "Addiction Treatment - Betty Ford Center - Rancho Mirage, CA".
- ^ "Bushes pay respects to Ford in Capitol - Yahoo! News". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2007.
- ^ Religion Blog | The Dallas Morning News Archived May 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Gerald R. Ford Foundation and exhibits, speakers and activities it supports". Archived from the original on March 26, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
- ^ "Gerald R. Ford ship ceremony brings Susan Ford Bales, family to Newport News, Virginia", The Grand Rapids Press, November 13, 2009.
- ^ "Susan Ford Bales writes her initials onto a metal plate during the keel laying and authentication ceremony", The Navy Newsstand, November 14, 2009.
- ^ "It's official: The Navy's newest aircraft carrier is christened in the name of Gerald R. Ford". Daily Press. November 9, 2013. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ "For Navy's newest carrier Gerald R. Ford, a noteworthy change of command". Daily Press. April 8, 2016. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019.
- ^ Romano, Lois (November 8, 2011). "Betty Ford Center's Messy Path After Former First Lady's Death". The Daily Beast.
- ^ National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- ^ Thomas, Sue (June 4, 2013). "Susan Ford Bales tells of surviving sudden cardiac arrest: 'I was extremely lucky'". MLive.com.
- ^ McFall, Marnie Rose (October 21, 2024). "Former President Gerald Ford's Daughter Endorses Kamala Harris". Newsweek.
- ^ Kang, Inkoo (April 14, 2022). "Review | 'The First Lady' turns three compelling women into Emmy bait". Washington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Susan Ford.
- Susan Ford Bales at IMDb
- "You Give Back, You Don't Give Up", PARADE
- Just ask Chelsea, Jenna and Barbara: Escaping the glare of the spotlight isn't easy for kids whose dads work in the Oval Office – San Francisco Chronicle
- Senior Prom at the White House – brief account of Susan Ford's prom, held in the East Room of the White House
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Susan Ford Bales
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early Life and Education
Family Background and Childhood
Susan Elizabeth Ford was born on July 6, 1957, in Washington, D.C., to Gerald R. Ford, then a U.S. Congressman from Michigan, and his wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer Ford.[5][6] As the youngest of four children and the family's only daughter, she had three older brothers: Michael Gerald Ford (born March 14, 1950), John "Jack" Gardner Ford (born March 16, 1952), and Steven Meigs Ford (born May 19, 1956).[6][7] The Fords established their family home in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1951 upon Gerald Ford's election to Congress, initially renting in the Parkfairfax neighborhood before moving into a custom-built house completed in spring 1955.[5][8] This residence served as the family's base for over two decades, during which Gerald Ford commuted frequently to Capitol Hill and Betty Ford oversaw household duties alongside community involvement in arts and volunteerism.[6] Susan's early childhood unfolded in this suburban environment, marked by routine family traditions including shared dinners, backyard swimming, birthday celebrations, and holiday gatherings.[9] Prior to the upheavals of 1974, Susan attended local schools in the Washington area, later enrolling as a senior at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, reflecting a relatively insulated upbringing amid her father's rising political profile.[10] The family's dynamics emphasized Midwestern values from their Grand Rapids roots, with Gerald Ford's congressional service—spanning from 1949—shaping a household accustomed to public scrutiny yet grounded in private normalcy.[6]Formal Education
Susan Ford Bales completed her secondary education at the Holton-Arms School, an all-girls preparatory school in Bethesda, Maryland, graduating with the class of 1975.[4][1] Her time at Holton-Arms coincided with her family's relocation to Washington, D.C., following her father's ascension to the vice presidency in 1973 and subsequent presidency in 1974.[3] Following high school, Bales enrolled at Mount Vernon College for Women (now integrated into George Washington University) in northwest Washington, D.C., in 1975, during the final months of her father's presidency.[4][3] There, she pursued studies in photojournalism, aligning with her emerging interest in photography.[11] No records indicate completion of a degree from Mount Vernon or subsequent higher education institutions.[1]White House Years
Appointment as Photographer
In 1974, shortly after her father Gerald Ford assumed the presidency, Susan Ford, then 17 years old, began pursuing photography within the White House, mentored by chief presidential photographer David Hume Kennerly. Kennerly, who had been appointed to the role in August 1974 following his Pulitzer Prize-winning work in Vietnam, provided Ford with a Nikon F1 camera and encouraged her interest in photojournalism.[12][13] This informal arrangement granted her extensive access to photograph family events, presidential activities, and White House operations, leveraging her position as first daughter without a formal staff appointment.[12] Ford collaborated closely with Kennerly and the White House Photo Office, including assisting in preparing portfolios of images from President Ford's trips, such as his December 1974 journey to the Far East.[14] She captured personal moments, including a surprise presentation of the family Siamese cat Shan to her parents in October 1974, coordinated with Kennerly.[15] Her photographs extended to the Oval Office, where she documented her father at work, and other areas, fostering her skills amid the unique privileges of residence.[16] This hands-on experience, rather than an official title, marked her entry into the field, which she later credited as foundational to her professional photojournalism career with the Associated Press.[13]Key Experiences and Public Role
During First Lady Betty Ford's hospitalization for breast cancer surgery on September 28, 1974, Susan Ford, then 17 years old, assumed the duties of official White House hostess.[1] [17] She hosted state dinners, luncheons, and other social functions, standing in for her mother during the recovery period, which extended several weeks amid the Ford administration's early challenges following President Richard Nixon's resignation.[18] Her role involved coordinating with White House staff on protocol and guest interactions, demonstrating composure under public scrutiny.[17] Ford's tenure as acting hostess highlighted the adaptability required of presidential children in the executive residence, where she navigated media attention and family privacy concerns while maintaining the administration's emphasis on openness—mirroring her mother's public candor about the cancer diagnosis to reduce stigma.[4] [1] This period thrust her into a surrogate public role, with Ford attending events alongside her father and brothers, Michael, John, and Steven, to project family unity during a time of national transition.[19] Beyond hostess responsibilities, Ford participated in White House youth-oriented initiatives and family traditions, such as the 1974 holiday decorations crafted by hand, which later influenced commemorative ornaments.[9] She balanced these obligations with her final year at Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, including hosting the school's senior prom at the White House on May 31, 1975, an event attended by over 200 guests that blended teenage normalcy with official residence access.[20] These experiences underscored her position as the Ford family's sole daughter, often bridging private family life—such as interactions with pets like the Siamese cat Shan—with ceremonial public expectations.[19]Professional Career
Photography and Photojournalism
Susan Ford Bales studied photojournalism at Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C., where she developed foundational skills in the field.[3] Following her formal education, she apprenticed under master photographer Ansel Adams, whose emphasis on technical precision and environmental portraiture influenced her approach to capturing subjects.[4] Bales launched her professional career as a freelance photojournalist, contributing to major outlets such as the Associated Press, Newsweek, Money Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal.[4] Her work emphasized documentary-style imagery, often focusing on political figures, social issues, and family dynamics informed by her White House experiences. Earlier, as a teenager, she interned at a newspaper, gaining hands-on experience in news photography before fully committing to the profession post-college.[21] Throughout her career, Bales maintained a portfolio centered on candid portraits and event coverage, though specific assignments and publications from this period remain less documented in public archives compared to her familial legacy.[22] Her photography intersected with advocacy later in life, as she occasionally shared images in exhibits tied to her parents' history, such as those highlighting Gerald Ford's presidency, but these were primarily interpretive rather than original journalistic outputs.[23]Writing and Publications
Susan Ford Bales co-authored the mystery novel Double Exposure: A First Daughter Mystery with Laura Hayden, published in 2002 by Thomas Dunne Books. The story, featuring a protagonist inspired by Bales's own role as a first daughter, is set amid White House intrigue and amateur sleuthing.[4] A sequel, Sharp Focus, continuing the series with similar themes of political mystery and family dynamics, followed in 2005.[4] Bales contributed the foreword to Betty Ford: First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer by Lisa McCubbin, published in 2023 by Gallery Books. In it, she reflects on her mother's legacy of candor regarding personal struggles with addiction and advocacy for women's health. No other major authored works or extensive periodical contributions by Bales are documented in public records.Philanthropy and Advocacy
Leadership at Betty Ford Center
Susan Ford Bales has been involved with the Betty Ford Center since its establishment in 1982 by her mother, former First Lady Betty Ford, and collaborated on various initiatives to advance addiction treatment and recovery programs.[1] [11] She was elected to the center's Board of Directors in 1992, contributing to governance and strategic oversight during a period of expansion in residential and outpatient services for substance use disorders.[4] Bales succeeded her mother as Chairman of the Board in 2005, serving in that capacity until 2010, a tenure marked by efforts to sustain the center's mission amid growing demand for evidence-based addiction care, including family-focused interventions and public advocacy for destigmatizing recovery.[4] [24] Following the 2014 merger of the Betty Ford Center with Hazelden Foundation to form the Hazelden Betty Ford organization, Bales continued her service on the board of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, supporting integrated treatment models that combine medical, psychological, and holistic approaches to addiction recovery.[1][25]Broader Public Service and Speaking Engagements
Susan Ford Bales has engaged in public speaking on topics including substance abuse recovery, breast cancer awareness, and personal wellness, drawing from her family's experiences with addiction and health challenges.[17][22] She delivers keynote addresses that incorporate personal anecdotes to advocate for stigma reduction and treatment access, often highlighting her mother Betty Ford's pioneering role in destigmatizing addiction.[26] For instance, she served as the keynote speaker at the Community Kickoff Foundation's UnMask the Stigma Gala on February 24, 2024, focusing on addiction recovery.[27] In addition to speaking, Bales contributes to public service through leadership roles in family-related foundations. She has served as a trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation since 1981 and as co-chair of its Programs Committee, overseeing initiatives that preserve her father's legacy.[1] She also acts as a trustee of the Elizabeth B. Ford Charitable Trust and co-trustee of the President Gerald R. Ford Family Trust, supporting philanthropic efforts aligned with the Ford family's values.[11] Bales hosts the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to commemorate her father's birth, with the most recent event marking his 112th anniversary.[28] Her speaking engagements extend to discussions of the Ford family's historical and cultural impact, such as a 2025 appearance at the Vail Symposium addressing the Fords' legacy in Vail, Colorado, including contributions to local landmarks like the Ford Amphitheater and Alpine Garden.[29] These activities complement her advocacy by promoting broader themes of resilience, public health, and historical preservation without direct ties to operational leadership at treatment centers.[30]Political Involvement
Public Statements and Endorsements
Susan Ford Bales has occasionally issued public statements on political matters, though she has historically maintained a low profile in partisan activities compared to her advocacy in health and philanthropy. On October 21, 2024, she endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president, stating, "While Vice President Harris and I do not agree on every issue, I am confident she will defend the rule of law and our Constitution. I know she will work to bring all Americans together to move us beyond partisanship. That is what America deserves from our president."[31][32] This marked a notable departure for Bales, who has identified as a Republican, amid a broader pattern of some Republican figures supporting Harris over Donald Trump due to concerns over democratic institutions.[33] Prior to 2024, Bales's political commentary remained limited, with no prominent endorsements of major candidates identified in public records. She participated in ceremonial events tied to her father's legacy, such as the 2017 commissioning of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier attended by President Trump, where she spoke as the ship's sponsor but issued no partisan endorsements.[34] Her statements have more frequently aligned with nonpartisan themes of national unity and institutional integrity, reflecting Gerald Ford's post-presidency emphasis on bipartisanship.Alignment with Family Legacy
Susan Ford Bales has consistently identified as a Republican, aligning with her father Gerald Ford's lifelong affiliation with the party, which he represented as a congressman from Michigan's 5th district from 1949 to 1973 and as the 38th U.S. president from 1974 to 1977.[35] [33] This self-identification reflects a continuity in partisan identity, though her public statements emphasize principles over rigid partisanship, a trait associated with Gerald Ford's moderate Republicanism, including his 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon to promote national healing despite intra-party criticism.[32] In October 2024, Bales endorsed Democratic vice presidential nominee and later presidential candidate Kamala Harris, stating that while she and Harris "may not agree on every issue," Harris "embodies the principles of integrity, decency, and respect for the rule of law" that her parents upheld.[31] [36] Bales framed this decision as driven by her parents' example of prioritizing constitutional norms and civility, diverging from contemporary Republican leadership under Donald Trump, whom she implicitly critiqued by highlighting Harris's commitment to defending democratic institutions. This stance mirrors Gerald Ford's post-presidency emphasis on bipartisanship and Betty Ford's independent advocacy on social issues, such as her support for the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion rights, which Bales has publicly echoed as reflective of her mother's encouragement for women to voice their convictions.[37] Bales's brother, John "Jack" Ford, expressed a contrasting view in 2024, asserting that their father—a "lifelong member of the Republican Party"—would have supported Trump, underscoring familial differences in interpreting the legacy.[38] Nonetheless, Bales has positioned her actions as faithful to the Ford family's broader ethos of service and moderation, as seen in her participation in events preserving their historical contributions, such as discussions on Gerald Ford's healing role after Watergate.[39] This approach suggests an alignment not with partisan orthodoxy but with the Fords' pragmatic realism in governance.Personal Life
Marriages and Family
Susan Ford married Charles Vance, a former U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect her father after his presidency, on February 10, 1979, in Palm Desert, California.[40][41] The couple had two daughters: Tyne Mary Vance, born in 1980, and Heather Elizabeth Vance, born in 1983.[42][43] They divorced in 1988.[40][43] Ford married attorney Vaden Bales on July 25, 1989.[44][45] The Baleses have resided primarily in Tulsa, Oklahoma, following their marriage.[46] Susan Ford Bales and her daughters maintain close ties to the extended Ford family legacy, with her grandchildren including Joy Elizabeth Berlanga and Cruz Vance Berlanga from daughter Tyne's marriage.[4]Health and Residences
In 2010, at the age of 53, Susan Ford Bales experienced sudden cardiac arrest while exercising on an elliptical machine, despite having no prior awareness of underlying heart disease.[47][48] She was revived through prompt intervention and has since advocated for awareness of sudden cardiac arrest risks, particularly emphasizing the importance of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) based on her personal recovery.[49] No other major health incidents have been publicly reported. Ford Bales, a Virginia native born in Alexandria, spent her early years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before residing in the White House during her father's presidency from 1974 to 1977.[4] Following her 1989 marriage to Vaden Bales, she relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they lived until moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1997 for 11 years; the couple returned to Tulsa around 2008.[46] As of recent records, she resides in McKinney, Texas.[4]References
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_House_Photographer_David_Hume_Kennerly%2C_Susan_Ford%2C_and_White_House_Photo_Editor_Sandra_Eisert_Preparing_a_Portfolio_of_Photographs_from_President_Gerald_R._Ford%2527s_Trip_to_the_Far_East_-_NARA_-_45644183.jpg