He was born on December 9, 1913 in Timber Lake, Dewey County, South Dakota and worked as cowboy and rodeo rider on his father's ranch near the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation until he attended the University of Puget Sound receiving a B.A.
He was born on December 9, 1913 in Timber Lake, Dewey County, South Dakota and worked as a cowhand and rodeo performer on his father's ranch adjacent to the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation until he went on to study at the University of Puget Sound.