bˈɔːɹn ɪn ɡˈɪmli, mˌænɪtˈoʊbə, hiː ɹᵻsˈiːvd ɐ bˈætʃəlɚɹ ʌv ˈɑːɹts dᵻɡɹˈiː fɹʌm juːnˈaɪɾᵻd kˈɑːlɪdʒ nˈaʊ ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv wˈɪnᵻpˌɛɡ ɪn wˈɪnᵻpˌɛɡ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈoːɹ, ɐ mˈæstɚɹ ʌv ˈɑːɹts dᵻɡɹˈiː fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv mˌænɪtˈoʊbə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn, ænd ɐ pˌiːˈeɪtʃ.dˈiː. fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv wɪskˈɑːnsɪn mˈædɪsən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː.
Born in Gimli, Manitoba, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from United College (now the University of Winnipeg) in Winnipeg in 1954, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba in 1959, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1963.