Vaughan was born in Monmouthshire, Wales,[2] the daughter of a father who was a draftsman and a mother who was a designer.
[4] Her interest in acting and a profession was ignited when she was 8 years old and received 25 cents for a recitation in a church play in St. Louis.
[3] After she graduated from high school, she attended Wayne University in Detroit for two years before she began to devote more of her time to acting.
[3] In addition to her acting, Vaughan was assistant director of the Detroit Children's Theater of the Air for 48 weeks,[3] and she read commercials for the Lone Ranger.
[7] The Chicago Press Photographers Association named Vaughan the "most photogenic radio star" in November 1942.