Morton B. King received a Bachelor of Arts in English, from Vanderbilt University, in 1934, and his Masters of Arts in Sociology in 1936. While a student at Vanderbilt University he had contact with several Agrarians on the faculty and off. Since he grew up in a small Middle Tennessee town on a farm he was particularly drawn to the main Agrarian message. He was also involved with the Student Christian Movement whose theme was racial justice. As a Depression Era graduate entering the job market, he chose to become a relief worker, instead of going on relief. He later became a Professor of Sociology at the University of Mississippi.