John Wesley Hoffman was born on August 26,1895 in Maplegrove, Minnesota. He earned his AB from the University of Minnesota in 1918, his AM from the University of Chicago in 1922, and his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1937. After serving in the U. S. Navy during World War I, Hoffman worked as an instructor in history at John Fletcher College (1919-1920), an assistant professor at Morningside College (1922-1924), an instructor at the State University of Iowa (1925-1926), an instructor at the University of Chicago (1927-1928), a professor and department head at Morningside College (1928-1934), and an assistant professor at Montana State College (1934-1937). Hoffman came to the University of Tennessee as a professor of history in 1937, and was promoted to department head in 1944. While at UT, Hoffman was instrumental in organizing the Faculty Club, reviving the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and creating the Faculty Senate. He also helped to operate the Army Air Corps Program at UT during World War II. In 1965, Hoffman left UT to take a position as a professor of History at Maryville College. He died of leukemia on February 21, 1978.

J. Wesley Hoffman married Gertrude J. Glesen (1896-1991) on June 25, 1927 and the couple had two children.