Bettie Mae Page (born April 22, 1923), sometimes known as Betty Page, is an American model and pin-up girl, active mostly in the 1950s. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Page's parents divorced when she was 10 years old, forcing her and her sister to live for a year at an orphanage. A strong student in high school, she reportedly missed earning the title of school valedictorian and a scholarship to Vanderbilt University by a quarter of a grade point. On June 6, 1940, Bettie graduated, honored with a trust fund of $100, and she enrolled at Peabody College, with the goal of learning to be a teacher. The next fall, Bettie began to learn dramatic arts, with the faint hope of becoming a movie star. She also found her first job, typing the manuscripts of author Alfred Leland Crabb. Page graduated from Peabody with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1943. She married Billy Neal, who had attended high school with her, who shortly afterwards left her for active duty in World War II, and whom she divorced in 1947.