▁Max ▁We ill . ▁He ▁attended ▁P . S . ▁ 2 0 0 ▁in ▁B enson h urst . ▁He ▁also ▁attended ▁Pe ek sk ill ▁Military ▁Academy ▁in ▁Pe ek sk ill , ▁New ▁York , ▁then ▁en rolled ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁R OT C ▁and ▁the ▁Al pha ▁E psilon ▁Pi ▁frat ern ity . ▁We ill ▁received ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁government ▁from ▁Corn ell ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁ ▁We ill ' s ▁middle ▁initial ▁of ▁" I " ▁is ▁not ▁an ▁abbre viation ▁for ▁anything . ▁He ▁has ▁said : ▁ ▁Business ▁career ▁We ill , ▁shortly ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Corn ell ▁University , ▁got ▁his ▁first ▁job ▁on ▁Wall ▁Street ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁– ▁as ▁a ▁runner ▁for ▁Bear ▁Ste ar ns . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁lic ensed ▁bro ker ▁at ▁Bear ▁Ste ar ns . ▁R ather ▁than ▁making ▁phone ▁calls ▁or ▁personal ▁vis its ▁to ▁solic it ▁clients , ▁We ill ▁found ▁he ▁was ▁far ▁more ▁comfortable ▁sitting ▁at ▁his ▁des k , ▁por ing ▁through ▁companies ' ▁financial ▁statements ▁and ▁dis clos ures ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Sec ur ities ▁and ▁Exchange ▁Commission . ▁For ▁weeks ▁his ▁only ▁client ▁was ▁his ▁mother , ▁E tta , ▁until ▁his ▁later ▁to ▁be ▁wife , ▁Joan , ▁persu aded ▁an ▁ex - boy friend ▁to ▁open