Carolyn Attneave (July 2, 1920 – June 22, 1992) was born in El Paso, Texas to Scandinavian and Delaware Native American parents, she spent most of her childhood moving from one city to another. Her culturally aware upbringing would go on to influence her decision to research diversity. She earned a B.A. in English and Theatre at California State University in 1940. After spending some years as a school teacher, she earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University in 1947 and 1952, respectively.