Henry Winkler

 Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York. His parents, Ilse Anna Maria (Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, were German Jewish immigrants who escaped the Holocaust by relocating to the US in 1939. His father was the president of a lumber company that was international, while his mother worked with him. Winkler is a relative of Richard Belzer. Winkler was born with low self-esteem. He was a struggle in school as well as high school. He later identified this as dyslexia. His parents expected him to eventually work with them at the lumber company. But he had different plans. He saw acting as the key to his happiness. In eighth grade Winkler played the role as Billy Budd in the school's play. After he graduated of McBurney High School, Winkler was able to incorporate his learning disability and excel in the higher levels of education. In the year 1967, he was awarded a bachelor's degree at Emerson College and in 1970 was awarded a master of fine arts degree at Yale School of Drama. Emerson College awarded him an honorary PhD degree in Hebrew Literature in 1978.