My first inspiration as a photographer, Dave Falconer died this week. He’s here with Mrs. Ford in the family residence at the White House, and in the oval office and on Air Force 1 with President Ford in 1974. Dave later became a friend, but his excellent photos in the Oregonian that I viewed from a distance in the early 60’s provided this young high school photographer from Roseburg motivation to my life’s calling. One of the great joys I took when I became the official White House photographer was arranging access for my colleagues, and getting Dave in the door to the oval office was particularly meaningful. He was a great guy, an excellent photographer, and a truly humble man. He will be dearly missed by all of us who knew him.
Dave Falconer in President Ford’s cabin on Air Force 1 on the way to Portland, Oregon
Oregonian photographer Dave Falconer meets President Ford in the Oval Office, Oct. 28, 1974
Oregonian photographer Dave Falconer talks to First Lady Betty Ford in the Family Residence at the White House