David Lovett was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 5, 1907, into a working-class Jewish family. He attended public schools and was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a bachelor's degree in 1927 and a PhD in English in 1932.

In his mid twenties, Lovett began suffering from an illness that was later diagnosed as Parkinson's disease. Despite his failing health, Lovett pursued his academic vocation and joined the Whitman College English faculty in 1936. When he arrived in Walla Walla, Lovett was surprised to discover that he was the only Jew among the faculty and students. Nevertheless, Lovett thrived and immensely enjoyed his time at Whitman.

After two years, due to declining health, Lovett left Whitman and returned east. He was not able to work regularly and became a resident of the Levindale Hebrew Home and Infirmary, where in 1947 he started a literary periodical, "The Voice of Levindale." Lovett died in January 1950.