Born in Iowa, she moved in her youth to Omaha, Nebraska, where she would later earn a law degree.
Elizabeth (or Betty[1]) Pittman was born on June 3, 1921, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, moving with her family soon to Omaha, Nebraska.
[2] Her mother was a librarian, and her father, Charles Davis, was a lawyer and leader in the local black community.
[2] Davis established Carver Savings and Loan, the first black-owned bank in the area, which lent money to the local community to purchase homes and closed in 1965.
[1] On July 21, 1986, just a month after her 65th birthday, she sent a letter to governor Bob Kerrey announcing her intention to retire on October 1 of that year.