Michael Schwartz is a native of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. He earned the baccalaureate in psychology in 1958, the Master of Arts in labor and industrial relations in 1959, and the Ph.D. in sociology in 1962. He then conducted academic research, taught at Wayne State University, later and moved to Indiana University, Bloomington. He became Chair of the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology at Florida Atlantic University and then Dean of the College of Social Science there. He then moved to Kent State University to become the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research. He later served there as Interim-President, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, and was given the additional title of Provost. He became President of Kent State University in 1982 and served in that role until 1991 when he became President Emeritus and Trustees Professor. He taught courses in higher education administration and organization, the history of higher education in the U.S., and statistical methods in social research. A decade later, he became the President of Cleveland State University and served in that capacity until 2009, when he again returned to teaching and writing as President Emeritus and Trustees Professor. He is the author of more than 50 papers and books. Now retired, he has served as a member of and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Institute of Art.