Born in Far Rockaway, New York, Wheelock grew up in a family of academics who could trace their American heritage back to the time of the Mayflower. He was a descendant of the founder of Dartmouth College.

In addition to publishing more than a dozen volumes of poetry, Wheelock is credited with boosting the careers of several American poets, including May Swenson and James Dickey, through his critical writing.

–Christie Finn Source: The Last Romantic: A Poet Among Publishers: The Oral Autobiography of John Hall Wheelock