Early life, education and career[edit]Foxx was born in The Bronx borough of New York City, the daughter of Dollie (Garrison) and Nunzio John Palmieri.[4][not in citation given] She is of half Italian descent.[5] She was reared in a rural area of Avery County, North Carolina. Foxx grew up in a poor family and first lived in a home with running water and electricity at 14 years old.[6] While attending Crossnore High School in Crossnore, North Carolina, she worked as a janitor at the school and was the first in her family to graduate from high school.[7] She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in 1968 and later earned both a Master of Arts in college teaching (1972) and Ed.D (1985) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[2][8] With her husband, Virginia Foxx owned and operated a nursery and landscaping business.[8]

Foxx worked as a research assistant and then an English instructor at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute and Appalachian State University before moving into university administration. From 1987 until her 1994 entry into politics, she was president of Mayland Community College.[9] Under North Carolina Governor James G. Martin, Foxx served as Deputy Secretary for Management.[8]

From 1994 to 2004, Foxx served in the North Carolina Senate.