Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, the only child of William and Natalie (Weinstein-Bacal) Perske.  Her father was a salesman from Alsace; her mother, the daughter of German-Rumanian immigrants, worked as an executive secretary. After they were divorced, her mother took the "Bacal" part of her maiden name.  (Later, Bacall added another "l", and "Lauren" was a Hollywood addition.)
  "My mother was the greatest example to me of anyone I've ever known.  She worked hard all her life, and she was the one who set my values.  She wanted me to have every opportunity and she supported me in whatever I wanted to do."