In light of International Women's Day, I wanted to write a mini blog post about the women who inspire me, except I had no idea how much I loved those women and it turned into a huge blog post, Bettie Page, Lucille Ball, just to name a few have had such a huge impact on my life. Bettie Page, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, Page lived in California in her early adult years before moving to New York City to pursue work as an actress. There, she began to find work as a pin-up model, and posed for dozens of photographers throughout the 1950's.
At a young age, Bettie had to face the responsibilities of caring for her younger siblings. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old. Bettie and her two sisters lived in a Protestant orphanage for a year. During this time, Bettie's mother worked two jobs, one as a hairdresser during the day and washing laundry at night.
As a person who aspires to be successful in everything I do, Bettie Page's early life is very important to me. Bettie was a great student and a member of the debate team at Hume-Fogg High School, she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed". On June 6, 1940, she graduated as the salutatorian of her high school class with a scholarship. She enrolled at George Peabody College, with the intention of becoming a teacher. However, the next fall she began studying acting, hoping to become a movie star. At the same time, she got her first job, typing for author Alfred Leland Crabb. Page graduated from Peabody with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1944.
In 1950, while walking alone along the Coney Island shore, Bettie met NYPD Officer Jerry Tibbs, who was an avid photographer. He suggested she'd make a good pin-up model. It was Officer Tibbs who suggested to Bettie that she style her hair with bangs in front, to keep light from reflecting off her high forehead when being photographed. |