Dr. Sherman A. Hoslett was born February 14, 1906 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He graduated from Luther College in 1930, and stayed on for an additional year as an instructor in biology. He went on to earn his master's degree in 1933 and his PhD in 1940, both from the University of MIchigan. In addition, he did post-graduate work at the University of California and in southern Arizona.

Dr. Hoslett joined the Luther College biology faculty as an instructor in 1930-1931, before beginning his graduate work. He returned in 1933, where he remained until his retirement. Dr. Hoslett was promoted to head of the biology department in 1940, a position he held until 1962. He also served as biology faculty at the International Christian University in Japan during the 1960s, returning to Decorah in 1967 and 1969.

In addition to biology, Dr. Hoslett was active in Christian higher education and the Lutheran Church. He was a founding organizer of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah, Iowa, served as a naturalist at Bible camps, and engaged in educational missionary work on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church beginning in 1962. His travels took him to Madagascar, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Ethiopia, as well as Japan.

Dr. Hoslett married Martha Sundby on June 28, 1941 and they had two children. He passed away May 12, 1971.