Born and raised in Milwaukee, Husslein graduated from Marquette College. After joining the Society of Jesus, Husslein taught at Fordham University and then at St. Louis University. The early part of his academic career was focused on the Church's social teaching and he was active in the Social Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Later, he edited A University in Print, which contributed significantly to the Catholic literary revival in the United States in the 1930s.