Henry Winkler

 Henry Franklin Winkler was a New Yorker, born in Manhattan on October 30, 1945. His parents, Ilse Anna Maria (Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, were German Jewish immigrants who escaped the Holocaust by moving to the US in 1939. His father was the head of a lumber company with international ties while his mother worked alongside his father. Winkler is a cousin of Richard Belzer.Winkler was born with "a very low level of self-esteem." He was a struggle in school and high school. It was due to what he later identified as dyslexia. His parents hoped that he would eventually to work for them in the lumber industry. But, he had different plans as he saw performances in the stage as the key to his satisfaction. In the 8th grade, Winkler played the role in the role of Billy Budd in the school's production. Following his graduation from McBurney High School, Winkler was able to integrate his learning disabilities and be successful in college. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1967 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1970. Emerson College awarded him an honorary PhD degree in Hebrew Literature in 1978.