Bonnie Bolding grew up in Alabama with several siblings. She entered the Miss Alabama contest four times, winning a scholarship to Howard College (now Samford University) and later a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse where she studied after her graduation from Howard in 1955. She left acting after a brief career in movies and television. Bonnie married and divorced twice, then moved to New York and became a Wall Street stockbroker. There she met John E. Swearingen, an oil executive. They married in 1969. Over the years, John's job took them over much of the world. They met royalty and heads of state including American presidents. Living in Chicago, Bonnie was not always seen as a good fit by the old money, high society folks. She was referred to as one of the "Alabama Gabor sisters" at one point. The Swearingen's did a lot of philanthropic work around the country, Samford University being a favorite cause. Bonnie Bolding Swearingen Hall (an arts center) was named in her honor.