John Marks Templeton was born in the town of Winchester, Tennessee, and attended Yale University, where he was an assistant business manager for campus humour magazine Yale Record and was selected for membership in the Elihu society.
John Marks Templeton lahir di kota Winchester, Tennessee, dan berkuliah di Universitas Yale, di mana dia menjadi seorang asisten manajer bisnis untuk majalah humor kampus Yale Record dan terpilih untuk menjadi anggota di perkumpulan Elihu.