Carlton Fordis Culmsee was born in Iowa September 18, 1904 to Dr. Ludwing Alfred Culmsee and Clara Belia Hansen Culmsee. After graduating from high school in Cedar City, Utah in 1922, he taught for three years in various one-room schools. He graduated as valedictorian with a double major in Geology and English from Brigham Young University on June 5, 1932. Edna Ball (the valedictorian two years previous) became his wife the same day. Culmsee taught journalism and was the secretary of the extension division at BYU after his graduation. He received his M.A. in English in 1936 from BYU, and his PhD from the University of Iowa in American Civilization. Upon returning to BYU, Culmsee became the head of the Journalism department and the Director of the Extension Division. During WWII Culmsee served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, advancing to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before he was honorably discharged in 1945. Upon his return he was appointed Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences (known later as the College of Humanities and Arts) and a professor of American Civilization at Utah State University.

He served on many committees and held a myriad of offices including two terms as president of the League of Utah Writers and one term as president of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. He was chairman of the Land-Grant University Centennial-USU Diamond Jubilee, chairman of the Campus Planning committee, director of Publications, and supervisor of the USU News Bureau. In 1955 he and his wife were invited to Taiwan to reestablish the National Chengchi University. In 1970, after serving as Dean for 25 years, Carlton Culmsee retired. That same year he was awarded the USU Distinguished Service Award. In 1971, he and Edna were elected to the Old Main Society. He taught part-time for five years after retiring as dean, and in 1975 Carlton Culmsee retired completely and received Emeritus status. On July 11, 1976, Edna Ball Culmsee died of a heart attack. On February 24, 1978, Carlton Culmsee married Aileen Swift Barker (born in Wellsville, Utah, August 25, 1910). Aileen and Carlton were married for fifteen years until his death in May of 1993.