Bellack, Alan S.

I was born in New York City, November 27, 1944. An only child, I lived with my parents and maternal grandmother in an apartment building in the Bronx throughout my childhood. I attended public schools and graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School at the age of 16. I was an indifferent student in high school, and while I achieved good grades, I had not developed any strong academic interests or career ambitions. Neither of my parents had attended college, and we all viewed it simply as a logical extension of high school. I applied only to the City College of New York, which was free, a short subway ride from home, and which, coincidentally, had an excellent academic reputation. I selected engineering as my ...