Background
Stein, the only child of Arthur and Edith (née Goehler) Stein, was born on 27 September 1937 in East Saint Louis.
Stein, the only child of Arthur and Edith (née Goehler) Stein, was born on 27 September 1937 in East Saint Louis.
He attended O"Fallon Township High School, from where he graduated in 1955.
He lived in O"Fallon, Illinois throughout his life. During his time at school he played basketball and baseball, and participated in track and field events. Following high school, Stein planned to begin workouts with the Chicago White Sox, then continue his education at Northwestern University.
While training with the White Sox, Stein became ill with polio.
The disease left him requiring the use of a wheelchair. He entered a rehabilitation program at the University of Illinois in 1956 and became involved in competitive wheelchair sports, including basketball, athletics and football.
Stein was part of the United States team that travelled to Rome, Italy, to take part in the 1960 Summer Paralympics, the first ever He competed in three individual athletics events and was also a part of the United States wheelchair basketball squad. He also took gold in the wheelchair dash below T10 event.
He was inducted into the Wheelchair Sports United States of America Hall of Fame in 1970 and the National Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.