Suzanne E. Vanderbilt was born on August 25, 1933 in Mt. Vernon, New York to Donald and Evelyn (Sandberg) Vanderbilt. She graduated in 1951 from Mamaroneck [New York] High School, and went on to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Industrial Design degree in June 1955. Following graduation, Ms. Vanderbilt began work as a Junior Designer at General Motors Corporation, becoming one of the “Damsels of Design”, a pioneering group of women automobile designers hired by Harley Earl (VP of Design) in the mid-1950s. Ms. Vanderbilt started in the Chevrolet and Cadillac Interior Studios, working on several production and show cars. Ms. Vanderbilt herself was a Corvette enthusiast, and owned several of the sports cars. She moved to the Research Studio in 1958, where she was able to work on interior sections of the Firebird II show car and on an experimental automated highway system. At the age of 28, she was the first female assistant designer at GM, and assumed responsibility for the Human Factors and Safety Program in addition to her regular design duties. During this time, Ms. Vanderbilt developed two patents relating to automotive safety and ergonomics. In 1965, Ms. Vanderbilt was promoted to Senior Designer for Chevrolet Interiors, and later became Chief Designer in the Chevrolet Interior #2 Studio in 1971. Ms. Vanderbilt left GM in 1977 on a disability leave.

From 1963-1965, General Motors granted Ms. Vanderbilt a leave to study at the Cranbrook Academy of Art (CAA), where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing in May 1965. She was chosen to give the farewell address at the graduation ceremony, and received much attention for her work in religious iconography. Following her retirement from GM, Ms. Vanderbilt continued her interests in metalwork, jewelry design and manufacture, sketching, and photography. Her work was displayed in many exhibitions in the Detroit area. Drawing from her extensive group of nature photographs, she began work on a project illustrating design forms in nature. After an extended illness, Suzanne Vanderbilt passed away in November 1988.