He was educated in Atlanta's public schools, and graduated from Boys High School in 1925, spending two years working for an Atlanta lawyer before working his way through Davidson College, a Presbyterian school in North Carolina. He was active in the national military honor society Scabbard and Blade, becoming a cadet lieutenant colonel commanding the Reserve Officers' Training Corps battalion. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1931. While at Davidson, Rusk applied the Calvinist work ethic to his studies. He won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. He studied international relations, taking an MA in PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics). He immersed himself in English history, politics, and popular culture, making lifelong friends among the British elite.Schoenbaum, pp 41–55. Rusk's rise from poverty made him a passionate believer in the "American Dream", and a recurring theme throughout his life was his oft-expressed patriotism, a place in which he believed that anyone, no matter how modest their circumstances, could rise up to live the "American Dream".
He was educated in Atlanta's public schools and graduated from Boys High School in 1925 spending two years working for an Atlanta lawyer before working his way through Davidson College a Presbyterian school in North Carolina He was active in the national military honor society Scabbard and Blade becoming a cadet lieutenant colonel commanding the Reserve Officers' Training Corps battalion He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1931 While at Davidson Rusk applied the Calvinist work ethic to his studies He won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University He studied international relations taking an MA in PPE (Politics Philosophy and Economics) He immersed himself in English history politics and popular culture making lifelong friends among the British eliteSchoenbaum pp 41–55 Rusk's rise from poverty made him a passionate believer in the "American Dream" and a recurring theme throughout his life was his oft-expressed patriotism a place in which he believed that anyone no matter how modest their circumstances could rise up to live the "American Dream"