Robert Berran was born in Mt. Vernon, New York December 24, 1923 and raised in Scarsdale, New York. At the age of 19, he joined the U.S. Army and served during WWII, from 1942-1945, with Gen. Patton's 3rd Army in Europe, as a combat medic. After the war, Berran studied at the Art Student's League in NYC (1945-1950) under the G.I. Bill with well-known artists, including Arnold Bank, Howard Trafton and Frank Reilly.