Louis Francis Wouters was born on October 29, 1921, in Antwerp, Belgium. His family moved to California in 1930. Louis married Gladys C. on March 14, 1982. Gladys had three children: Glenn, Clark, and Amy.

He attended school the University of California, Berkeley. Wouters obtained a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1942. He then earns his doctor of philosophy degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952.