Father Marcellus John Francis Nugent was born on July 30, 1902 in Whitman, Massachusetts. He attended St. Mary's Grade School and St. Mary's Academy in Milford, Massachusetts. He completed his secondary education and began his first-year college studies at Aquinas High School and Aquinas College in Columbus, Ohio.

After a year at Providence College, he began his novitiate at St. Joseph Priory, Somerset, on August 15, 1923. His first year of philosophical studies was taken at St. Rose, Springfield, with the second and third years continued at the newly completed House of Studies in River Forest, Illinois. Theological studies followed in Washington, D.C., where he was ordained on June 16, 1930. After a year of post-ordination theological studies, he moved to St. Dominic's Priory in Washington while he pursued graduate work in the social sciences at Catholic University, receiving his master's degree in Labor Economics in 1932.

Father Nugent was first assigned to Fenwick High School where he taught the social sciences and religion from 1932 until 1941. He also served as Fenwick's librarian for two years while continuing with further graduate studies in Business Law and Economic Geography at Chicago's De Paul University. From 1941-1942 he worked as assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Parish in Chicago. At the same time he was appointed Provincial Director of the Holy Name Society. From 1942 until 1943, he lived at St. Pius Priory where he worked with the Central Mission Band while continuing to direct local Holy Name groups and to write a monthly labor column for The National Holy Name Journal.

In 1945, he was appointed pastor and superior of St. Albert's in Minneapolis, where he served until 1954 when he became Director of the Southern Mission Band with residence at St. Anthony of Padua Priory in New Orleans. Upon the request of the Provincial Chapter in 1960, he was granted the title of Preacher General on November 11, 1960. From 1964 until 1969, he also served as a member of the Provincial Council.

In 1968, Father Nugent became chaplain to the Dominican Nuns at the Monastery of the

Infant Jesus in Lufkin, Texas, a position which he fulfilled with great affection until his death on July 3, 1972. At the request of the Monastery community, special permission was granted by Rome allowing his burial in the cloister cemetery.