Charles Howard Holbrow was born in Melrose, Massachusetts to parents Frederick Holbrow and Florence Louisa (Gile) Holbrow. His earliest memory of interest in physics dates from about age 13, when he saved the money he earned delivering newspapers to buy a book by Robert Andrews Millikan, Electrons (+And -) Protons Photons Neutrons Mesotrons and Cosmic Rays. "I read about two pages, and it made no sense to me whatsoever," he said. "But I still have the book, and now it makes lots of sense."