Stanley was born in 1936 in Detroit, Michigan, to an observant Jewish family.[2][3] He first encountered jewelry and metalsmithing at Cass Technical High School. After high school Lechtzin worked as a draftsman and cartographer. While working for the City of Detroit Public Lighting Commission he realized that he did not want to continue that career path, so he began taking night courses at Wayne State University in Detroit. He set up a studio and began taking commissions upon graduation. He soon entered the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where much of his graduate work dealt with ferrous metals and stainless steel flatware.[4]
Career
Upon graduation from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Lechtzin accepted a teaching position in 1962 at Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[5] Lechtzin was one of nine founding members of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.[6] In 2009, he was awarded the SNAG Lifetime Achievement Award.