George Ballis
George Ballis
George Ballis was a photographer, filmmaker and activist who championed rural people to take control of their own lives. He advocated for land use rights and affordable housing solutions.
Ballis, a rugged ex-marine with a mischievous smile, moved from Chicago to Fresno in 1953 and soon after became editor of Valley Labor Citizen. Through Dorothea Lange’s six month photography course, he transformed himself from reporter into activist through his images of farm workers.
Early Life and Education
George Ballis was born in Faribault, Minnesota on August 12, 1925 and spent his youth working in the cornfields before serving as a Marine Corps mechanic during World War II. Later he earned a degree in journalism and political science from the University of Minnesota.
He proudly accepted his Greek heritage and valued his rights as an American citizen. In his early 20s, he worked various factory jobs before relocating to Fresno, California to become editor of The Valley Labor Citizen newspaper.
In 1953, after taking a photography course with Dorothea Lange, he began documenting migrant workers and their living conditions in California’s Central Valley. Additionally, he photographed Native Americans and other people who had experienced poverty firsthand. His photographs often captured genuine interactions between subjects, revealing both their dignity and struggle.
Professional Career
George Ballis was a photographer with an interest in social justice issues. He grew up in Minnesota and served as a Marine mechanic during World War II before working as a labor reporter and editor at Valley Labor Citizen in Fresno, California.
After taking a photography course with Dorothea Lange, he began taking photographs of migrant workers and their living conditions. Not content with photojournalism that patronized the poor, he sought out authentic interactions that highlighted dignity and struggles.
He went on to become a leading photographer for both Mississippi’s Civil Rights movement and United Farm Workers movement, as well as documenting student nonviolent coordination committee’s Southern Documentary Project.
In addition to his professional photography career, he founded Rural America and established Sun Mountain land trust to promote environmentally friendly housing for farm workers. Additionally, he led National Land for People in a legal battle against west-side farmers over federally subsidized irrigated water rights.
Achievements and Honors
George Ballis is a photographer, activist and community organizer who joined Cesar Chavez in his mission to improve the conditions of migrant farm workers. Throughout their journey together, George took thousands of pictures documenting Cesar and Dolores Huerta’s United Farm Workers movement.
At various points in his career, Ballis worked as a freelance photographer for government anti-poverty programs. Additionally, he traveled to Mississippi in support of the Civil Rights movement by joining Matt Herron and others on their Southern Documentary Project team, documenting life in the Deep South.
Together with his wife Maia, Ballis produced several films, such as I Am Joaquin (an epic Chicano film poem) and The Dispossessed (about Pit River Indian lands). Additionally, they documented the Oakland Five–a black group that challenged a school board–and Toughest Game in Town–about Santa Fe poor people organizing themselves out of poverty.
Personal Life
George Ballis dedicated his life to serving others. He was an agent of social change, an advocate for the environment and a voice for those who felt left out in society.
As a photographer, he documented the farm worker movement and other social justice issues. His images and videos were seen across America.
He founded National Land for People (NLP), a community organization that advocated for laws protecting small farmers against corporate farm expansion. They won cases that reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but Congress overturned those victories.
He also collaborated with United Farm Workers leader Cesar Chavez in his advocacy work. His photography depicting farmers’ protests over water rights and peace movements formed an essential element of his advocacy work.
Net Worth
George Ballis was an American entrepreneur best known for inventing the Weed Eater string trimmer in 1971. He’s also proud father to ballroom dancer Corky Ballas and grandfather to professional dancer Mark Ballas who competed on Dancing with the Stars.
Ballis was an entrepreneur, creating numerous inventions which led him to success. In 1977 he sold his business venture to Emerson Electric Co.
He taught entrepreneurship at Rice University in Houston, Texas but his true passion lay in dancing.
Ballis dedicated most of his adult life to improving the lives of others. He supported migrant education programs, Chicanos fighting for their lands, Pit River Indians seeking to reclaim their tribal lands from corporations, Blacks in Oakland fighting an oppressive school board and poor Chicanos organizing for political power in Santa Fe.