John F. Marszalek was born in Buffalo, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from Canisius College in 1961, a Master's Degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1963, and his Ph.D. from the same university in 1968.
John F. Marszalek retired after twenty-nine years as a professor in 2002 to become Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University. He previously served as Director of the Distinguished Undergraduate Scholars Program from 1998 until 2012.
Anne Marshall took over as the replacement for John F. Marszalek in 2022. Upon her appointment, Marszalek was named Executive Director Emeritus of the association following the death of John Y. Simon in July 2008.
John F. Marszalek won the Nevins-Freeman Award on the 13th of April 2018 from The Civil War Round Table of Chicago. He also received the Richard Wright Literary Award and the B.L.C. Wailes Award from the Mississippi Historical Society.
John F. Marszalek wrote or edited thirteen books focusing on figures such as Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Henry Halleck. His notable works include Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order published in 1972 and Sherman's March to the Sea published in 2005.