He garnered the nickname "Reese" as a result of his younger sister's mispronunciation of Maurice.[1] He graduated from Weequahic High School.[2] He went on study at Dartmouth College, obtaining a B.A. in political science from that institution in 1953.[1] He subsequently earned an M.A. and a law degree from Columbia University.[3][2] However, he never went into practice.[1]