John Cunyus Hodges was born on March 15, 1892 to Floyd Crawford and Addie Reynolds Hodges in Cotton Valley, Louisiana. He was educated first at Meridian College, where he graduated with his AB in 1911. He went on to earn an MA from Tulane University (1912), a PhD from Harvard (1918) and an honorary Litt.D from Tennessee Wesleyan College (1962). Hodges launched his teaching career at Northwestern University, where he taught from 1913 to 1916. He began teaching English at the University of Tennessee in 1918, and remained in this position until he was promoted to department chairman in 1937, where he served until 1962. Beginning in 1959, he was also involved in the Library Development Program. Hodges married twice: once to Lillian Nelson (January 24, 1914) and once to Cornelia Smartt Hendley (August 15, 1952). He died in 1967.

Hodges also wrote a number of books, including William Congreve, the Man (1941), Harbrace Handbook of Reading (1943), English Manual for Teachers (1946), Harbrace College Handbook (1946), Harbrace College Workbook (1952), College English the First Year (1952), The Library of William Congreve (1955), William Congreve: Letters and Documents (1964), and Harbrace Writing Course (1967).