He grew up in a rough neighborhood in New York City. He lied about his age to join the Navy, and served in the South Pacific during WWII. After the war, he became a prizefighter known as "Hammerin' Hank." After receiving his high school equivalency diploma, he received a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma and a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. He began a doctoral degree in human genetics at the University of Texas at Austin before moving to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where he received a medical degree.