Background
Pfeiffer was born in Parkersburg, Iowa, on July 22, 1895, moving to Saint Louis in 1901, where she went to school at Visitation Academy of Saint Louis.
Pfeiffer was born in Parkersburg, Iowa, on July 22, 1895, moving to Saint Louis in 1901, where she went to school at Visitation Academy of Saint Louis.
Although her family later moved to Piggott, Arkansas, Pfeiffer stayed in Missouri to study at University of Missouri School of Journalism, graduating in 1918. After working at newspapers in Cleveland and New York, Pfeiffer switched to magazines, working for Vanity Fair and Vogue. Pfeiffer spent the rest of her life in Key West, with frequent visits to California, until her death on October 1, 1951.
Gregory, who had experienced gender identity issues for most of his life, had been arrested as a male caught entering a woman"s restroom in a movie theater.
Years later, after he had become a medical doctor, Gregory interpreted his mother"s autopsy report as indicating that Pauline had died due to a pheochromocytoma tumor on one of her adrenal glands. His theory was that the phone call from Ernest had caused the tumor to secrete excessive adrenalin, and then stop, the resultant change in blood pressure causing her to go into the acute shock that caused her death.