Alice Augusta Ball was born on July 24, 1892, in Seattle.
Alice Augusta Ball was born in Seattle, Washington, to a family that prized education and intellectual curiosity. Her birth was a precursor to a brief but impactful life that would change the course of medical treatment for one of the world's most misunderstood diseases: leprosy.
Her upbringing in Seattle was set against a backdrop of societal evolutions post-reconstruction, where African Americans were seeking new horizons in education and professional establishments.
Despite the racial and gender barriers of the time, her family's emphasis on academic excellence primed her for achievements that transcended the limitations placed upon her by early 20th-century societal norms.