Lon (as he was commonly known) was born on April 16, 1934 to Lincoln and Margaret (May) in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, IL where he was an outdoorsman and athlete. In 1956, he graduated from Dartmouth College. Rather than continue his path towards medicine, Lon pivoted to study theology at Union Theological Seminary, which fueled his passions for civil liberties, social justice and dignity for all. He was ordained in the Presbyterian church in 1960. As an associate pastor at the Church of Good Neighbor in East Harlem, Lon galvanized his commitment to civil rights. He became an active presence in civil rights marches throughout New York City and the country. He believed the principles of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and occasionally was arrested for his civil disobedience.