Early Life (1911-1931)
Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick in her
High School yearbook
(about age 18)
Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick was born on June 20, 1911, in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA, to LaVelle Fitzpatrick (mother) and Lawrence C. Fitzpatrick (father). She had two brothers, one older, Lawrence C. Fitzpatrick Jr., and one younger, Richard Fitzpatrick. Growing up as a middle child with two brothers in rural Alabama, Fitzpatrick always sought an outlet to gain extra attention. From the beginning of her elementary school education, her teachers and parents could tell she would be a stellar student and a driven child. This newfound attention only encouraged her to succeed and find leadership positions throughout her education. According to her Woodlawn High School senior yearbook, Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick held positions such as Literary Society Treasurer, Drama Club President, Vice-President of the National Honor Society, and the first woman at her high school to be Senior Class President. Patrick also starred in four school stage productions while she was a member of the drama club. With these accomplishments before age 18, her family and peers knew Margaret was about to take the world by storm.
When Margaret Fitzpatrick entered Howard College, now Samford University, around 1928, she had her mind set on a career in law and local politics. She also continued to take on more leadership positions throughout her higher education. A basketball player, she became captain of the women's basketball team and extended that popularity to become president of the Women's Student Body at Howard. Gaining the title "campus organizer" in college, her peers often regarded her as a very motivated and popular student. Fitzpatrick had a love for aviation as well, and as a college student, studied flying. She learned enough to sit behind the controls on a number of small aircraft flights. While receiving her college education, her interest in dramatics continued to grow. After appearing in several performances around campus, she was inducted into Howard College's College Humor magazine's Collegiate Hall of Fame in 1931. Despite her apparent love for the stage, she was not considering a career in acting. She attended Howard College for a Bachelor of Arts Degree and studied law during her Junior and Senior year in night classes. However, when she was a senior at Howard College, a little place called Paramount Pictures held a contest called the "Panther Woman." Fitzpatrick overheard about the contest at the time, and as the Women's Study Body president, encouraged the women on campus to enter. In a 1936 interview, Fitzpatrick said, "My college and Birmingham-Southern were endeavoring to select a girl for the contest, but none of the girls at Howard would go into the contest because I wouldn't. All our parents were against it." Being the competitive young adult she was back then, she admitted she only entered because she heard a rumor that their rival school would walk away with the winner instead. She could not let this happen and sent her contest submission to Paramount. A decision that would ultimately change her entire life.
Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick in her
College yearbook
(about age 20)
