Early Life, Education and Career
Sestak was born in Secane, Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Martin, came to America from the Czechoslovak village of Dolné Lovčice in what is now Slovakia in 1922, after World War I, while his father Joseph (age 3), was sent to America in 1924 to join Martin. Sestak's father graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1942, and then fought in both the Atlantic and the Pacific during World War II, rising the rank of captain. Afterwards, he continued his service as an engineering officer in at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
Sestak attended Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Penn., where his mother worked as a math teacher. Sestak was deeply inspired by his father. He recalls the time Joseph Sr. spent five hours fixing the family car in the freezing cold of a Philadelphia winter:
"I remember going to the window and watching him. And the admiration that I had—just that strong determination of his. Never give in."
Following in his father's footsteps, Sestak was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy immediately after graduating high school, during the Vietnam War. In 1974, Sestak graduated second in his class of over 900 midshipmen, with a Bachelor of Science degree in American political systems. Between tours at sea, Sestak earned a Master of Public Administration and a Ph.D. in political economy and government from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1980 and 1984, respectively.
Sestak is currently serving as a Distinguished Practice Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College. In May 2013 he was named the 2013-2014 recipient of the General Omar N. Bradley Chair in Strategic Leadership, a joint initiative among the United States Army War College, Dickinson College and the Pennsylvania State University – Dickinson School of Law. Previous recipients of the Bradley Chair include former Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley and retired Major General John D. Altenburg.
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