c. eric lincoln was born in athens, alabama, on june 23, 1924. he was abandoned by his father, then by his mother, and raised by his grandmother. he attended trinity school in athens, where he edited the school newspaper, the "campus chronicle". at the age of 13, he picked cotton to support his family and to buy books for his studies. he graduated a valedictorian from high school. after studying and working in chicago, he served in the u.s. navy from 1943 to 1945. he received a b.a. in sociology and philosophy from lemoyne-owen college in memphis, tennessee, in 1947. in 1954, he received an m.a. from fisk university in nashville, tennessee. in 1956, he received a bachelor of divinity from the university of chicago, and in 1957 he was ordained as a methodist minister. he went on to earn a master's degree in education, and in 1960 he received a phd in social ethics from boston university.