Hussein Ahdieh was born and raised in Nayriz, Iran, He is a sixth generation Baha'i, his ancestors figuring among the first in Nayriz to accept the Babi and later Baha'i Faith. Hussein immigrated to the United States as a young man. Like many immigrants seeking a better life in America, he worked and attended college in the New York area. Hussein eventually completed a Masters Degree in European Intellectual History and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. Hillary Chapman has a BA in History from Haverford College and an MS from the University of Pennsylvania. He was an English and history teacher at Chapin School in New York City and Sidwell Friends School in Tennessee.