Virginia Walker

Virginia May Walker Hawks (July 31, 1908 – December 23, 1946) was an American model and film actress. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she studied Japanese art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and pursued a modeling career in national magazine advertisements, through which she was spotted by a Universal Pictures scout and signed to a film contract. Upon arriving in Hollywood, she met filmmaker Howard Hawks, who negotiated her release from Universal and signed her to a personal contract. She made her film debut in Hawks's Bringing Up Baby (1938), and the following year married Hawks's brother William. After their 1942 divorce, she appeared in four more feature film roles, three of them uncredited, for 20th Century Fox. Early life and education Virginia May Walker was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1908. She was the only daughter of William Homer Walker (1869–1912), a local attorney, and Eva M. Walker (née Perry), originally from Paris. She had two older brothers. Walker grew up in Boston and Cambridge; the family vacationed in Miami, Florida, during the winters. At age 10, Walker moved to Miami and eventually graduated from Miami High School. She returned to Boston to study Japanese art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, with a specialty in Japanese prints. She was a member of the Junior League of Boston. Early work Walker began modeling in national magazine advertisements for various companies, including a car manufacturer and a garment designer. She performed in amateur stage productions in Brookline, including dramatic plays staged by the Harvard Dramatic Club and comedies produced by the Hasty Pudding Club. Additionally, she created a skin care product which she manufactured in her home kitchen.