Editing Norm Abram (section)

==Early life and education==
Abram was born in [[Woonsocket, Rhode Island]],<ref name="Smith">{{cite web |url = http://www.projo.com/projohomes/onthego/norm.htm |title = Building a reputation: TV woodworking guru Norm Abram visits R.I. for a This Old House segment |work = [[The Providence Journal]] |author = Smith, Andy |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110622073832/http://www.projo.com/projohomes/onthego/norm.htm |archive-date = June 22, 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> and raised in [[Milford, Massachusetts]], where he attended high school.<ref name="Boesel">{{cite magazine |last1 = Boesel |first1 = Jim |title = Norm Abram: Carpenter Turned Furnituremaker |url = https://www.finewoodworking.com/1993/04/01/norm-abram-carpenter-turned-furnituremaker |magazine = [[Fine Woodworking]] |url-access = subscription |access-date = June 27, 2021 |pages = 46–51 |date = April 1, 1993 }}</ref><ref name="Boesel-print">{{cite magazine |last = Boesel |first = Jim |date = March–April 1993 |title = Norm Abram: Carpenter Turned Furnituremaker |magazine = Fine Woodworking |volume = 99 |pages = 46–51 }}</ref><ref name="TOH-Bio">{{cite web |title = Norm Abram |url = https://www.thisoldhouse.com/21071269/norm-abram |website = This Old House |access-date = June 27, 2021 |language = en |date = January 17, 2020 }}</ref> His father was a carpenter, who taught his son many of his practical skills.<ref name="Wolfe">{{cite web |last1 = Wolfe |first1 = Leslie |title = Hands-on kind of guy |url = https://www.umass.edu/umassmag/archives/1998/spring_98/spg98_f_norm.html |website = UMass Magazine |publisher = University of Massachusetts |access-date = June 26, 2021 |date = 1998 }}</ref> Norm first worked on a client's site at the age of 9, helping his father install hardwood floors.<ref name="Pratt">{{cite web |last1 = Pratt |first1 = Mark |title = He's got it nailed |url = https://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20080107/NEWS/301079879 |website = Milford Daily News |access-date = June 26, 2021 |language = en |date = January 7, 2008 }}</ref> He worked with his father during summer vacations in high school and college.<ref name="Pratt"/>

Abram initially studied [[mechanical engineering]] at the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]],<ref name="TOH-Bio"/><ref name="Wolfe"/><ref name="Doten"/> where he became a brother of the [[Pi Lambda Phi]] fraternity.<ref name="Wolfe"/> He found theoretical engineering courses to be uninteresting,<ref name="Wolfe"/><ref name="Doten"/> and switched to studying [[business administration]].<ref name="TOH-Bio"/><ref name="Doten"/> He realized that he enjoyed practical hands-on work, and left UMass just short of finishing a degree.<ref name="Wolfe"/><ref name="Doten"/>