Doris Shoong Lee was born in 1919 in San Francisco, California and was the second of three children. Her family moved to Oakland, California and that’s where she grew up. After Shoong Lee graduated from high school she went on to attend Berkeley University along with her sister. Her father became very interested in the university after both daughters spent time there and consequently he created a scholarship fund for Chinese students. The Lee family then decided to move to China and Shoong Lee and her sister enrolled in Ling Nam University.
Ralph Vandersnick was born March 16, 1927 in Annawan, Illinois, a small town that was 150 miles from Chicago, Illinois. His mother died when he was five, and his family moved to Atkinson, Illinois in 1934. He grew up in the Great Depression and was drafted into World War II when he was 17, missing high school graduation by a year.