He served in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. He attended Cumberland Law School, graduating in 1947, and practiced law in Memphis, Tennessee from 1948 to 1967 and in Crossville, Tennessee from 1967 to 1970. He was elected to the state legislature as a representative from Memphis in 1960.
As a military veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he transitioned into a career in law, graduating from Cumberland Law School in 1947. He practiced law in Tennessee for nearly two decades, with notable periods in both Memphis and Crossville. In 1960, his political career took off when he was elected to the state legislature as a representative from Memphis.