hiː wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æɾ ænsˈoʊniə hˈaɪ skˈuːl ænd ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌmðə ʃˈɛfiːld saɪəntˈɪfɪk skˈuːl ʌv jˈeɪl jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt, wˌɛɹ hiː əbtˈeɪnd wˈɜːk æz ɐ lˈæbɹətˌɔːɹi ɐsˈɪstənt ænd bɪɡˈæn ɐ pˌiːˈeɪtʃ.dˈiː. dᵻɡɹˈiː ˌʌndɚ ðə suːpɚvˈɪʒən ʌv ˈeɪtʃ ˈɛl wˈiːlɚ.
He was educated at Ansonia high school and graduated from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University in 1898, where he obtained work as a laboratory assistant and began a Ph.D. degree under the supervision of H L Wheeler.