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Augusta Fells (Savage) was born in Green Cove Springs (near Jacksonville), Florida to Edward Fells, a Methodist minister, and Cornelia Murphy. She began making clay figures as a child, mostly small animals, but her father was a poor Methodist minister who strongly opposed his daughter’s early interest in art. My father licked me four or five times a week,” Savage once recalled, “and almost whipped all the art out of me.” This was because at that time, he believed her sculpture to be a sinful practice, based upon his interpretation of the "graven images" portion of the Bible. After the family moved to [West Palm Beach], she sculpted a Virgin Mary figure, and, upon seeing it, her father changed his mind, regretting his past actions. The principal of her new school recognized and encouraged her talent, and paid her one dollar a day to teach modeling during her senior year. This began a lifelong commitment to teaching as well as to art.

In 1907, Augusta Fells married John T. Moore. Her only child, Irene Connie Moore, was born the next year. John died shortly after. Augusta moved back in with her parents, who raised Irene with her. Augusta Fells Moore continued to model clay, and applied for a booth at the Palm Beach county fair: the initially apprehensive fair officials ended up awarding her a US$25 prize, and the sales of her art totaled US$175; a significant sum at that time and place.

In 1915, she married James Savage; she kept the name of Savage throughout her life.

Savage's art fair success encouraged her to apply to Cooper Union (Art School) in New York City, where she was admitted in October, 1921. She arrived in New York City with $4.60 and a letter of recommendation from Solon Burglum, the director of the School for American Sculpture and the superintendent of the county fair. She was selected before 142 other women on the waiting list. She excelled in her art classes at Cooper, and was accelerated through foundation classes. Her talent and ability so impressed the staff and faculty at Cooper, that she was awarded funds for room and board, with tuition being already covered for all Cooper students. She completed her degree in three years.

Following her success at the fair, county fair official George Graham Currie encouraged her to study in New York City. Savage left for New York in 1921 with a letter of recommendation from Currie to sculptor Solon Borglum. Although he did not take her on a student, he recommended her to the Cooper Union Art School in New York City, where she was admitted in October, 1921.