Nevada politician and women's advocate Imogene "Jean" Young was born in Miami, Oklahoma, on December 28, 1929, to Daisy Adelphia (Flook) and Clarence Nathan Young. She had one brother, Byron Young. Her family moved to Joplin, Missouri, where she attended kindergarten through high school. In 1951 she graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas with a B.A. in Sociology. After graduation she worked as a recreational therapist for the American Red Cross in military hospitals until 1955.
James Frey was born in Eureka, South Dakota, in 1941. His father worked in creamery and his mother was a registered nurse. When Frey was nine, the family, including his twin sister, relocated in Sioux Falls where his dad was plant manager for a dairy. He joined the YMCA in the fourth grade and ended up working for them until around the age of 22. He attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, graduating with a major in sociology and a minor in history. After graduation, he worked for three years at the YMCA in Sioux Falls as program director.
Robert Elmer Friedrichs was born July 8, 1943, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robert married Nancy on May 20, 1998, and they had one child together with two children from Nancy's previous marriage: Shaun (son), Gerry (stepson), and Michael (stepson).
Friedrichs obtained an associate of science degree (1973) and bachelor of science degree (1976) in Radiologic Technology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 1984, Friedrichs obtained Master of Business Administration (MMBA) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.