Susan Ford

Susan Elizabeth Ford Bales (née Ford; formerly Vance) was born on July 6, 1957. She is an American author and photojournalist, and has served as the 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 Betty Ford (née Bloomer). Ford's youth included attending the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, where she graduated in 1975. During her time there, she held her senior prom in the East Room of the White House. She also served as the official White House hostess when her mother was hospitalized for breast cancer and participated in official events during that period.

Ford enrolled at Mount Vernon College for Women in Washington, D.C., in 1975. She later attended the University of Kansas for one semester in 1977 but did not complete a degree.

Professionally, Bales trained as a photographer and worked in photojournalism. Her work included assignments for the Associated Press, Newsweek, Money Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, The Topeka Capital-Journal, and the Omaha Sun, among others. She freelanced as well, and was hired to take publicity stills for the film "Jaws 2," with many of her photographs documented in Ray Loynd’s book "Jaws 2 Log."

In her organizational roles, Bales joined the board of the Betty Ford Center in 1992 and became its chair in 2005, succeeding her mother, who remained involved as a board member.

As an author, Bales co-wrote a novel titled "Double Exposure: A First Daughter Mystery" in 2002 with Laura Hayden, set in the contemporary White House. A sequel, "Sharp Focus," was published in 2005.

Bales has participated in significant public events related to her family. She attended the state funeral of her father in late December 2006 and early January 2007, during which she read a passage from the Epistle of James at the Washington National Cathedral. She also assisted her mother in receiving dignitaries at Blair House after the funeral.

In 2007, Bales was named the ceremonial sponsor of the aircraft carrier CVN-78, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and participated in its keel laying. She delivered remarks at the unveiling of a commemorative postage stamp honoring President Ford in June 2007. Bales also represented the Ford family at the funerals of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and participated in the dedication of the Gerald R. Ford Post Office in Vail, Colorado.

In 2013, she christened the USS Gerald R. Ford with a bottle of sparkling water. During a change of command ceremony aboard the ship in 2016, Bales was named an honorary naval aviator, being only the 31st person and the first woman to receive this honor.

The USS Gerald R. Ford was commissioned on July 22, 2017, with Bales giving the order to "Man our ship."

Bales represented her family at the funerals of President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush in 2018.

Regarding her personal life, Susan Ford married Charles Vance, a former Secret Service agent, on February 10, 1979. They operated a private security company in Washington before divorcing in 1988. The couple has two daughters, Tyne Mary Vance (b. 1980) and Heather Elizabeth Vance (b. 1983). In 1989, she married attorney Vaden Bales; the couple lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then Albuquerque, New Mexico, before returning to Tulsa and ultimately divorcing in 2018. Bales relocated to McKinney, Texas.

In her family, Bales was involved in her mother’s cancer awareness efforts, including helping to launch National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1984. She suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in 2010 while exercising but was revived with medical intervention. Subsequently, she received a heart stent and pacemaker and spoke publicly about her experience.

In recent years, Bales has endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election.

In popular culture, she was portrayed by Dakota Fanning in the Showtime series "The First Lady."

**References:**

- "The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents," William A. DeGregorio, 2001.

- "All the President's Children," Doug Wead, 2003.