Ruth Urban was born November 16, 1948 in Los Angeles, California. At the age of ten, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with her mother and older sister. Urban spent most of her childhood in the Huntridge area and was always involved with Temple Beth Sholom. After graduating from Las Vegas High School, Urban attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she received a bachelor’s degree in social work, and later, a master’s degree in counseling.

Joyce Mack was a community leader, volunteer, and philanthropist in Las Vegas, Nevada who supported UNLV since its founding. Born Joyce Rosenberg on August 17, 1925 in Los Angeles, California, she later attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she met her husband Jerome D. "Jerry" Mack. The couple married in 1946 and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947.