My father’s name was Max Ernst May.  He was born in Beacon Falls, Connecticut of German immigrant parents. 

My father (Max), attended Yale University, but sadly, he ran out of funds during his last semester and was not able to complete his education.  If he had graduated, Dad would have been from the class of 1912.   To regain his financial footing, my father was hired as the Athletic Director at Adelphi Academy, under the leadership of Dr. Petti.

Max met Dorothy Lamphear (my mother) while working as a coach at Adelphi.

It was interesting to hear my father speak of his years at Adelphi.  Economic times were tight back then and he coached many of the younger brothers of his Yale classmates and some of those who he played football against from Princeton.  One of his Princeton friend’s had a wealthy father who had purchased an optical company just prior to the beginning of World War I.    This man asked my father to join his firm. This is where he learned about the industry.   I’ll share more detail on this a bit later on the site.

Max and Dorothy Get Married

Max married Dorothy Lamphear during the early part of World War I.  Max, my father, enlisted and served as a physical trainer for the Army Air Force in Texas.  Upon his discharge, they returned to Brooklyn where Dad went to work for the Gaspari Optical Company.  The owners of the company were friends of my Dad, and they may have been old football friends whom he  may have played against at Princeton (rivals of Yale).

In time, Dad learned the optical business and wanted to move up the ranks at the firm.  He was told “no.”  So he resigned, persuaded another fellow, Herman Fitz, to leave and join him as his first employee.  In 1919,  with one employee, Dad launched May Manufacturing Company.

I was born one year later in 1920.