Linda M. Edwards, at the age of 13, met
Vince McMahon, then age 16.
[8][9] Her mother worked in the same building as McMahon's mother, but they had not met.
Vince's mother became good friends with the Edwards family, and Vince, who had
lived with several abusive stepfathers, enjoyed the feeling of stability that he felt at their home.
[5] Edwards and McMahon dated throughout their high school years; she attended Havelock High School
[10] and he attended
Fishburne Military School in Virginia. During this time, Vince was a "permanent fixture" at her home,
[11] and spent hours with Linda and her family. He attended
East Carolina University, studying business administration. Edwards was an honors student in high school and aspired to become a
pediatrician.
[12]
Shortly after her high school graduation, Vince asked her to marry him. They married on August 26, 1966, when she was 17, and he was 21.
[8][13] She enrolled at East Carolina University in 1966, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in
French, and certification to teach.
[14] From 1968 to 1971, Vince worked as a traveling cup salesman before joining
his father's company, the
World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE).
[15] Linda finished college in three years so she could graduate with Vince. Their son
Shane was born in 1970, followed by daughter
Stephanie in 1976.
