 In 1953 he received a Bachelor of Laws from Washington and Lee University School of Law.He was a Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve from 1951 to 1952, and was in private practice in Bristol, Virginia from 1953 to 1969.He was a Commissioner for the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia from 1963 to 1966, and was a member of the Virginia Election Laws Study Commission from 1968 to 1969.