▁ ▁Life ▁Roll ins ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ab il ene , ▁Texas , ▁to ▁Nathan iel ▁G . ▁and ▁El va ▁( Hy der ) ▁Roll ins . ▁He ▁entered ▁South western ▁University ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 4 . ▁He ▁took ▁time ▁off ▁to ▁teach ▁in ▁country ▁schools ▁and ▁earned ▁his ▁B . ▁A . ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁earned ▁an ▁M . ▁A . ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas , ▁and ▁taught ▁English ▁there ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁he ▁entered ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁University ▁gradu ate ▁school , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁he ▁entered ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁When ▁the ▁U . S . ▁entered ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁he ▁decl ined ▁a ▁Harvard ▁Sh eld on ▁Tra vel ing ▁Fellow ship ▁to ▁en list ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Sign al ▁Corps ▁as ▁a ▁private , ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁France ▁as ▁a ▁second ▁lieutenant ▁for ▁the ▁duration . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Europe ▁on ▁the ▁fellow ship ▁he ▁had ▁decl ined ▁before ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁assistant ▁professor ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University , ▁becoming ▁a ▁full ▁professor ▁four ▁years ▁later . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Harvard ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁he ▁succeeded ▁George ▁L