I was born in Chicago, Illinois into a family proud of its lineage of generations of teachers.

My Great Aunt Adele and my Great Aunt Lillie were teachers in the Chicago Public School system and active members of the Chicago Teachers Union. In fact, among the pictures and memorabilia passed onto me is a letter dated January 27, 1942 from the Chicago Teachers Union Election Tellers thanking my Great Aunt Adele for her "two years of loyal and efficient service" as a union delegate. Both of my great aunts held PhD's and were members of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area, achievements that are commonly considered to demonstrate that one is highly educated, intelligent and hard-working.

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