Irvin Faust was born in New York City to Morris and Pauline Faust. Faust attended the Queens College of the City of New York (now known as the Queens College of the City University of New York) and the City College of New York (now known as the City College of the City University of New York). Here Faust earned a B.S. in 1949. Faust attended Columbia University for graduate studies, earning an M.A. in 1952 and an Ed.D in 1960. From 1943 to 1946, Faust served with the U.S. Army during and after World War II. He served with the Army in Europe and the South Pacific. Faust married Jean Satterthwaite in 1959. He currently resides in New York City. He was a guidance counselor at Garden City High School , Garden City, NY.

In addition to writing, Faust has also maintained a career in education. He has served as a teacher and guidance counselor at junior high and high schools. Faust had also taught at such notable colleges as Swarthmore College, Columbia University, and the University of Rochester.

As an author, Faust is best known for his novels and collections of short stories. In 1965, Eliot Fremont-Smith in The New York Times cited "Roar Lion, Roar" on a list of 14 books that constituted "new fiction read, reviewed and enjoyed during the year." His novel The Steagle was made into a film in 1971.