In 1928, Knox received a Bachelors of Science degree in chemistry at Bates College. During his attendance at Bates College he participated in numerous extracurriculars; member of the Jordan Scientific Society and lettered football as a right halfback. For two years after his graduation, Knox taught chemistry at Morehouse College in Atlanta. In 1930, Lawrence started at Stanford University and after one year he received a Masters of Science degree. Knox continued his education at Harvard University and received his Doctorate in organic chemistry in 1940. His dissertation was titled "Bicyclic structures prohibiting the Walden inversion. Replacement reactions in 1-substituted 1-apocamphanes".
