Editing Ed Bryant (section)

== Early life ==
Ed Bryant was born and raised in [[Jackson, Tennessee]]. His mother was a [[registered nurse]], while his father was an [[electrician]]. Bryant attended [[Tennessee Technological University]] for a year before transferring to the [[University of Mississippi]], where he received both his [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in 1970 and [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] in 1972. As a student, he was active in the [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity. Bryant was also selected to the national leadership organization of [[Omicron Delta Kappa]].

He received a commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the [[United States Army]] through the [[Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps]]. Initially serving in the [[Military Intelligence Corps (United States Army)|Military Intelligence Corps]], Bryant was later selected to serve in the [[Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army|Judge Advocate General's Corps]]. During his time in the U.S. Army, he was assigned to the Ballistic Missile Defense System Command in [[Huntsville, Alabama]], the [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]] at [[Fort Carson]] in [[Colorado]] and taught [[constitutional law]] to cadets at the [[United States Military Academy at West Point]].<ref name="life-after"/> Bryant served another year in the [[Tennessee Army National Guard]].

Upon returning to Jackson, Tennessee, he joined the [[law firm]] of Waldrop & Hall<ref name="life-after"/> and was later elected President of the Madison County Bar Association.