Mary Catherine Rumbough was born in 1895 in Lynchburg, Virginia. From 1913 to 1915 she attended [then] State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. While at the school, Rumbough was involved in several organizations, including the Glee Club, the Dramatic Club, L Cercle Francais, and the Student Association. Additionally, she served as Exchange Editor of The Focus (literary magazine), and President of both the Pierian Literary Society and the Lynchburg Club.
