C. L. (Clare Leslie) Marquette was born January 1, 1904. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Milton College in Milton, Wisconsin, in 1928. He taught history at various Wisconsin high schools from 1928-1936. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1937 and 1940 respectively. In 1937, he married Lena Mitchell.

Marquette’s post-secondary teaching career began at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he taught from 1940-1946. He served as Professor of American History at the University of Mississippi from 1946-1972. In the late 1940s through 1960, Marquette returned to Wisconsin during the summer to teach at Eau Claire State Teachers College / Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. Marquette passed away on June 4, 2004.

Marquette’s primary correspondent, Roy Oppegard, studied history at the Eau Claire State Teachers College in the 1930s and taught in the Eau Claire schools.