Adlai Stevenson II was born on February 5, 1900, in Los Angeles, California. Stevenson came from a prominent political family. His grandfather, Adlai Stevenson I, had served as Vice President under Grover Cleveland. One of his uncles had been a friend and campaign manger for Abraham Lincoln, and his father had been Secretary of State of Illinois. In high school, Stevenson was an active student, playing on the tennis team, acting in the theater, and serving as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy, but didn’t finish his training until it was too late for him to join in World War I. From there Stevenson went on to Princeton, where he was again editor of the newspaper and a member of several clubs. Stevenson earned a degree in literature and history, and at his father’s request, went to Harvard Law School. However, he was bored with law and eventually left the school.