 Olpin was born on August 30, 1940 in Palo Alto, California.He graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1958, followed by the University of Utah, where he bachelor's degree in 1963, and Boston University, where he earned master's degree in 1965 and a PhD from Boston University in 1971.Olpin was a professor of Art History at his alma mater, the University of Utah, for 38 years.