A Brief Biography and Appreciation of Ingram Olkin

Ingram Olkin, known affectionately to his friends in his youth as “Red,” was born July 23, 1924 in Waterbury, Connecticut. He was the only child of Julius and Karola (Bander) Olkin. His family moved from Waterbury to New York City in 1934. Ingram graduated from the Bronx’s DeWitt Clinton High School in 1941, and began studying statistics in the Mathematics Department at the City College of New York. After serving as a meteorologist in the Air Force during World War II (1943–1946), achieving the rank of First Lieutenant, Ingram resumed his studies at City College. He received his B.S. in mathematics in 1947.