Malcom was born near Dwight, KS. He graduated from Dwight Rural High School in 1935 and went on to study agriculture; agronomy, crops, and soils at Kansas State University. After college, he started working the the USDA soil conservation in South Dakota.

He received his draft notice to report to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on December 7th, 1941. He quit his job and returned home to Kansas to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family. On the bus from Topeka to Fort Leavenworth, the new soldiers were notified that Pearl Harbor had been attacked. 'It was kind of remarkable, I thought, that I was being brought into the Army on that very day that the war began.' He served as a Medical Administrative in the 102 Evacuation Hospital. After the war ended, they were still helping with casualties, so the soldiers had the opportunity to travel around Europe. He returned home and was discharged in New York City on December 8, 1945.