Charlie Monroe, orphaned at an early age, enjoyed a sheltered life – sheltered first by a Catholic orphanage and later by the ivy-covered walls of a prestigious northeastern university. His ego takes him abruptly from the academic world he had known to one he never imagined existed, a small southern university filled with corruption and nepotism. Charlie is overwhelmed and strives to return to the academic life he had once known. Eventually he does return, but not before learning to cope with the problems presented by his new circumstances.