Born March 17, 1948, in Neenah, Wisconsin, Mr. Korten was the son of Margaret A. (O’Grady) and John S. Korten. He graduated from Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisconsin, in 1966, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in political science. He was a co-founder and the first editor-in-chief of the Badger Herald, an independent student newspaper.