Hughes Cauffman attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in architecture. During World War II he served in the Navy in the Pacific. After the War ended he joined the architectural firm of George M. Ewing from 1952-54, but in 1954 joined with college classmates to form Francis Cauffman Wilkinson & Pepper Architects. Cauffman ran the hurdles and wrestled in high school and continued to run track at Penn, competing in the Penn Relays. He later served as a judge at the Relays for many years. Cauffman was inducted into the Episcopal Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.