Born, Dayton Edward Phillips, on March 29, 1910, at Shell Creek, Tennessee in Carter County, he grew up on a farm, attended the country school, and went to Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. From 1929 to 1931, he attended Milligan College in Tennessee.
Born, Dayton Edward Phillips, on March 29, 1910, at Shell Creek, Tennessee in Carter County, he spent his youth on a farm, received basic education at the rural school, and graduated from Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. He then attended Milligan College in Tennessee from 1929 to 1931.