In 1955, he received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., which was one a limited number of integrated universities in the area at the time. The year he received his bachelor's degree, Rutherford T. Atkins became the first African American person to receive a PhD from the university. Subsequently, he earned his doctorate in chemistry at Catholic University of America in 1960. At Catholic, he studied under Karl Herzfield, Clyde Cowan, and Theodore Litovitz. His thesis was titled "Theoretical Investigation of Linear H3" and his doctoral advisor was Virginia Griffing. His thesis research was supported in part by the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.