This chapter focuses on Clarence Samuel Stein's formative years, including the foundations of his work ethic, engagement in learning by doing, community design skills, and commitment to affordable housing. Born in Rochester, New York, on June 19, 1882, into an upwardly mobile Jewish family, Clarence Samuel Stein was the third child of Rose Rosenblatt and Leo Stein. When the Stein Manufacturing Company consolidated with two other firms in 1890 to form the National Casket Company, the Stein family moved to the Chelsea district in New York City. This chapter first provides an overview of New York City's Ethical Culture Society and its influence on Stein's early life before discussing his enrollment in 1905 at Paris's École des Beaux Arts, known for its strong tradition of architectural education with a focus on fostering excellence in design and drafting. It also considers Stein's employment in the office of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue as well as his civic reform work in New York City.