Imogene King was born on January 23, , in West Point, Iowa. The youngest of three children, she dreamed of being a teacher but entered nursing school when an uncle offered to help with finances. It was said that she accepted the offer to escape life in her small town. After graduating in from St. John's Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri, with a diploma in nursing, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education from St. Louis University in with minors in chemistry and philosophy. In this way, she combined her lifelong dream of being a teacher with her nursing career. Later, she would earn higher degrees, but this education served her well in her career goals at the time.