Julia Child was born Julia Carolyn McWilliams on 8-15-1912 in Pasadena, California, into a comfortable, socially prominent family that valued education and culture. Her father, John McWilliams Jr., was a Princeton-educated banker and land manager, and her mother, Julia Carolyn Weston, came from a Massachusetts paper company fortune. Tall, athletic, and spirited, Julia attended Smith College, graduating in 1934 with a degree in history.