James Hickey was born in Midland, Michigan, to James and Agnes (n??e Ryan) Hickey; he had an older sister, Marie.[1] His father was a dentist who, during the Great Depression, treated patients who could not pay for their dental care.[2] At age 13, he entered St. Joseph Minor Seminary in Grand Rapids.[1] He graduated as valedictorian from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit in 1942,[1] also prov