ˈæftɚ ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾɪŋ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi, hiː ɛnɹˈoʊld æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌvðə sˈaʊθ ɪn sˈuːɐnˌiː, bˌʌt ˈæftɚ sˈɛvɹəl jˈɪɹz ðə sˈɛkənd wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ˌɪntɚɹˈʌptᵻd hɪz ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən.
After graduating in 1940, he enrolled at the University of the South in Sewanee, but after several years the Second World War interrupted his education.