Born the son of Baptist Preacher in Virginia, he briefly attended The University of Virginia until he was expelled for drunkenly crashing a friends motor car during the prohibition era. Luckily he had just won 100 hundred dollars as a prize for a state wide chemistry contest that served as his final exam for first year Chem 101. While other students wrote novel chemical fourmulae as their submission,Reeves , not knowing anything about chemistry having spent the semester drinking, dancing and gambling, submitted an essay titled ” Better Living Through Chemistry” He would later use this title for DuPont campaign. The 100 Dollars was enough money to move to Richmond where he was hired at a new bank that was hiring young contest winners. Finding that he was horrible at accounting but verbally gifted he began writing advertisements. He soon moved to New York City to found Ted Bates & Co with Ted Bates.