Sam was born in Northern Iran. By 1943 he found himself every day at the US Military Camp Aetberi which was near his home. There he learned to speak English and became a translator between Iranian workers and US technicians. From 1943-1960 he worked for the IRAN Railroad. In 1962 he left Iran for Germany to complete his education, finishing with a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. He returned to Iran and started working on construction projects.