Henrietta Blondell Smith Malone was born July 15, 1940, in Norfolk, Virginia to the late Charles Henry and Margaret Smith. The loss of her biological mother at ten years of age to cancer jump-started a drive like none other. Reared during an era where education was ingrained to guarantee a better way of life, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Booker T. Washington High School in the Illustrious Class of 1958. Continuing her quest for knowledge; she received full-ride scholarships to Hampton Institute as well as Purdue University along with the loving support of her father and step-mother, Nealie Johnson Smith. She pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated with her best friend, Sullivan Robinson, who introduced her to her future husband.
