Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was born in Monroe, North Carolina, into a family with a history of innovation and creativity. This environment played a crucial role in shaping her future endeavors.

Mary was surrounded by inventive minds. Her father, Sidney Nathaniel Davidson, invented a clothes press that could fit into suitcases. Her grandfather, Robert Phromeberger, invented a light signal for trains, and her sister Mildred Davidson Austin Smith invented games. This familial background instilled in her a passion for problem-solving and creating new solutions.

Mary and her family moved north, seeking better opportunities and a more progressive environment, first to North Carolina and later to Washington D.C. These moves exposed her to different communities and broadened her perspectives.