He received a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Wheeling University in 1966, and an M.A. in History from Duquesne University in 1968. He also completed two years of doctoral work in History at the University of Connecticut from 1968 to 1970. Subsequently, he received a B.S. in English from the State University of New York in 1990, and a permanent certificate to teach both English and Social Studies in grade 7-12 from the State of New York in 1991.