LHe and his wife, Jacqueline Bonnot Dugan, had three sons, David, John T. Jr., and Matthew.
He was the author of many television scripts and several plays. His first play, "Martyr Without Tears," was presented on the Bronx campus of Fordham University in 1942 while he was serving overseas as an Army lieutenant.
He graduated from Fordham College. He received a master's degree in fine arts from Catholic University of America and a doctorate in theater from the University of Minnesota. His teaching career took him to Catholic University, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California at Berkeley, from which he retired in 1960.