“I guess you could say that I was somewhat withdrawn from my classmates. I spent a good deal of time being a loner. I suppose that had something to do with the way we lived: always on the move, never living in one town very long. It’s very hard to make lasting friendships that way. And my father was rather strict with me and my two younger sisters. He insisted on proper behavior and very often vetoed our choices of boyfriends. There was always a curfew whenever my sister or I would go out on a date, we had to be home on time or else. But I never resented his authority. I’m thankful for my strict upbringing; I feel it has helped me learn discipline, and that’s very important in this business.” – Sharon Tate
Tate attended South Shaver Elementary in Pasadena, Texas through 1955, Chief Joseph Junior High School (now middle school) from September 1955 to June 1958, and Columbia High School in Richland, Washington, from September 1958 to October 1959. In El Paso, Texas, she attended Irvin High School from late fall 1959 to April 1960 and then Vicenza American High School in Vicenza, Italy, from April 1960 to graduation in June 1961.
In November 1960, 17-year-old Sharon was proclaimed the “Queen Ball” at the autumn school ball at the Vicenza American School in Italy. It is noteworthy that at the event, Sharon wore the same dress and the same gloves in which she won the Miss Richland contest a year earlier.