Born in Elkhart, Indiana, on November 1, 1904 to William Francis and Zelda (West) Gravit, Francis West Gravit graduated from Oberlin College summa cum laude in 1928 and in the same year received a Certificate de Prononciation Francaise from the University of Paris. He went on to attend graduate school and serve as an instructor at the University of Michigan from 1928 to 1942, receiving master's and doctoral degrees in 1929 and 1939 respectively. With the outbreak of the Second World War he left academia to serve as a communications specialist with the U.S. Navy, stationed in Washington D.C. Upon his return he continued as an instructor at the University of Michigan until 1948 when he accepted the position of Assistant Professor of French and Italian at Indiana University, where he remained until his retirement as Professor Emeritus of French and Italian in 1975.

Early in his tenure at Indiana University Gravit was instrumental in reorganizing the coursework towards an emphasis on aural-oral methods for the first two years of undergraduate instruction. He also established an honors program for Indiana high school students to study in France and a junior year study abroad program for students pursuing degrees in French at IU and Purdue. As a scholar, Dr. Gravit's interests focused primarily upon French Seventeenth-century literature including Peiresc and Fréron. His scholarship was recognized not only by his colleagues at Indiana University but also by the French government, which awarded him the distinction of membership in the Legion of Academic Merit for his leadership in teaching language.

Francis West Gravit died at the age of 88 on March 12, 1993. He was survived by his wife Marjorie (Smith) Gravit.