Schwartz was born in Detroit, Michigan. His father was
Arthur Schwartz, a chemical engineer. Martin, his great-grandfather, was a Jewish emigre who came to America from Hungary in 1891. His mother Mary Margaret (née Moore) was a homemaker. Her family emigrated from Wales to America in 1732. Schwartz has one brother, Arthur Schwartz Jr. Both sons were raised in the
Episcopal Church following their mother's religious tradition. Schwartz was in college during the Viet Nam War, but received a high lottery number and was not called up to serve. Both sides of his family have strong military tradition. His grandfather, Frederick Wolf Schwartz, served in the U.S. Army in World War I. His father saw duty in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater in World War II. His brother is retired from the U.S. Air Force. Several family members from his mother's side fought for the colonies in the Revolutionary War. Schwartz began his education in public schools in Holland, Michigan before his family returned to the Detroit area. He attended public schools in Grosse Pointe before matriculating at the
University of Michigan. Working his way through college, Schwartz majored in anthropology and was a rare conservative elected to his college's Government Council in the radical sixties. After graduation, he returned to Detroit where he worked as a UAW member stacking parts in a Chrysler warehouse. Having become interested in health care organization and administration at Michigan, Schwartz entered
Yale University and graduated with a Master of Public Health degree in health services administration. He served as President of his class. ==Professional career==