Shelley began modeling in late 1964. Shelley was discovered by A&P supermarket heir and publisher Huntington Hartford at a debutante ball when she was just 14 years old. It was her first time to be invited to one and her mother instructed Shelley, "If any older men bother you, go powder your nose." And she kept powdering her nose all night because "A guy kept bothering me," Shelley said, "He kept coming up to ask, 'Have you ever thought of being a model?'" After careful consideration, and with the help of her mother, a former Conover model, she finally decided it was a better summer job than waitressing. They went to went to New York to meet with Eileen Ford (a friend of her mother's) for representation. At the end of the meeting, Mrs. Ford turned to Shelley and said, "We'll be expecting you at 9 o’clock tomorrow." And the rest is modeling history. (For more, check out: Best-Built Fords)
