Editing Jonathan Frakes (section)

==Early life and education==
Frakes was born in 1952 in [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]], to Doris J. (''née'' Yingling; 1926–2020) and James R. Frakes (1924–2002). Frakes's father was a professor of [[English literature]] and American studies at [[Lehigh University]] from 1958 to 2001, and was also a reviewer and critic for ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]''.<ref name= MC-James>{{cite news| url= https://www.mcall.com/2002/03/15/james-r-frakes/|title=James R. Frakes|newspaper= [[The Morning Call]] |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania|date=March 15, 2002 |pages=B10 | url-status= live| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180909222025/http://articles.mcall.com/2002-03-15/news/3390717_1_fiction-reviews-short-fiction-hudson-review| archive-date= September 9, 2018| access-date= October 11, 2022}}</ref> Frakes had a younger brother, Daniel, who died in 1997 from [[pancreatic cancer]].<ref name= MC-James /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mcall.com/1997/05/19/daniel-m-frakes/|title=Daniel M. Frakes|newspaper=The Morning Call|location=Allentown, Pennsylvania|date=May 19, 1997|page=A09}}</ref> Raised in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]] in the [[Lehigh Valley]] region of eastern [[Pennsylvania]], he attended [[Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)|Liberty High School]] in Bethlehem, where he ran [[track and field|track]], played with the Liberty High School Grenadier Band as a trombonist, and graduated in 1970.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sylvia Lawler|title=Jonathan Frakes's career beams up Bethlehem actor scores as 'Star Trek' commander|newspaper= The Morning Call|location=Allentown, Pennsylvania|date=September 25, 1988|pages=T.01}}</ref>

Frakes attended [[Pennsylvania State University]], where he was a member of the [[Penn State Thespians|Thespians]], and graduated with a [[Bachelor of Fine Arts]] in Theater Arts in 1974. Although he had enjoyed performing in plays throughout junior high and high school, it was not until he entered Penn State that he began to take acting seriously. While he was working a summer job as an usher at the Festival of America Theatre, a director spotted him and suggested that he would make a great addition to his play's chorus. Transformed by the experience, Frakes immediately changed his major from psychology to theater.<ref name="Grunge">{{cite web|last=Wright|first=William J.|title=Star Trek Actors Before They Made It Big |url= https://www.grunge.com/647704/star-trek-actors-before-they-made-it-big/| website=Grunge.com| publisher=[[Static Media]]| access-date=25 March 2022|date=October 30, 2021}}</ref>

Frakes then went on to attend [[Harvard University]], where he became a member of the university's acting company, the [[Loeb Drama Center]], and graduated with a [[Master of Arts]] degree in 1976.<ref name="Grunge"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Szymanski |first=Sarah |date=Spring 2007 |title=Jonathan Frakes |url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Frakes__Jonathan |access-date=25 June 2023 |website=Pennsylvania State University}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Matt |last=Juul |date=August 12, 2022 |title='Star Trek' actor Jonathan Frakes on Riker's return, beaming down to Boston |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/12/lifestyle/star-trek-actor-jonathan-frakes-rikers-return-beaming-down-boston/ |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title='Star Trek: Picard' stars Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden And Jonathan Frakes MA '76 talked to Deadline about the emotional experience of returning to the bridge of the USS Enterprise.|url=https://twitter.com/Harvardwood/status/1672680994468671488 |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref><ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite web |title=Frakes, Jonathan 1952– |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/frakes-jonathan-1952 |website=[[Encyclopedia.com]] |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref>