John was Professor of Zoology at University of Wisconsin - Madison from 1983-2006 and also a volunteer Hoofer Sailing Club instructor since 2000. 

Prior to his arrival at UW-Madison, John received his BA at Wagner College in New York and his doctorate at the University of Western Australia in Perth. He then accepted an Assistant Professor position at Yale University and was also Curator of Mammals at the Peabody Museum. After promotion to Associate Professor, John soon left Yale for a new faculty position at Harvard University before coming to the Zoology Department at UW-Madison in 1983 where he also accepted the position of Director of the Zoological Museum.

During his highly productive career as a research scientist specializing in molecular systematics of mammals and birds, John supervised large numbers of M.A. and Ph.D. students as well as countless undergraduates. John could always be found working, whether day or night, on serological or DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and any of a dozen manuscripts he and his students were preparing at any given time. John's commitment to scientific research both in the laboratory and field was intense and a true reflection of his belief that science was more of a contributory endeavor rather than simply a career choice. 

John never failed an opportunity to infuse this belief into all of his students, colleagues, and friends.