He was born in Bellaire, Ohio on June 27, 1911, the son of Emily and Frank Sargus, both immigrants from Lebanon. Sargus was educated at the University of Notre Dame, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1932 and his law degree in 1950.Alexander, Roberta. A place of Recourse: A History of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 1803-2003. Ohio University Press, 2003.
