He graduated from Bloomfield High School in New Jersey in 1951. During his teen years, he worked as a mechanic in Bloomfield, New Jersey to earn his college tuition by fixing his fellow students' cars. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1955 where he had been a tackle on the football team. He attended night classes and earned an MBA from Michigan State University in 1970 and later received an honorary doctorate from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.