lˈɔːɹəns wʌz bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn mˈeɪ twˈɛnti tˈuː, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn, ɪn kˈeɪmbɹɪdʒ, mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts, ðə sˈʌn ʌv bˈɪʃəp wˈɪljəm lˈɔːɹəns ænd dʒˈuːliə kˈʌnɪŋˌæm.
Lawrence was born on May 22, 1899, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Bishop William Lawrence and Julia Cunningham.