Robert Melton Hogge was born November 10, 1941 in Pocatello Idaho. He was the only child of Edna Taylor and Melton R Hogge. He grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado. Upon graduation from high school he attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He left BYU to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Paris, France. Following his mission he returned to Brigham Young University and competed both his bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in American literature in 1967 and 1969 respectively. He completed his Ph.D. in Modern American Literature from the University of Arizona in 1980. He met and married Jeanette “Jan” Walker while at BYU and they were married September 6, 1967 and had four children.
He was in the United States Air Force as an Education and Training Staff Officer from 1969-1989. He taught English at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School 1969-1973, United States Air Force Academy 1973-1974, then again from 1980-1984. He taught English, communications, educational theory, and military history at Air University from 1974-1976 and 1984-1987, the University of Maryland Oversees program 1976-77, and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at East Texas State University, 1987-1989. He also served one tour in Korea. He retired from the Air Force in 1989 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Upon retirement he obtained a position as professor of English at Weber State College in 1989. During his time at Weber, he and his colleague Mali Subbiah developed the Technical Writing Minor in 1996 which was the first of its kind in the State of Utah. He was the President of the Association for Mormon Letters from 1995–1996. He also published many poems and short stories over the years. After twenty three years he retired from Weber in 2012.
On July 16, 2017 he passed away at the age of seventy five.