Franc Kovačič was born on 25 March 1867 in Veržej. He studied theology and philosophy, from which he graduated in 1897 in Rome. In his writings he touched upon theological, philosophical and historical themes. On his initiative, the Historical Society for Slovene Styria was founded in 1903 and he assumed the role of secretary. The following year, the Society began publishing the Journal of History and Ethnography, which is still published today. In 1909 it opened its own museum on the premises of Narodni dom.

After the First World War, he advocated the unification of three museum collections in Maribor, namely the collections of the Diocesan Museum, the german Museum Society and the Historical Society (the slovene Museum Society). In 1938, all three collections found their permanent home on the premises of Maribor Castle.

During the peace negotiations in Paris in 1919, Franc Kovačič was a member of the SHS diplomatic delegation as an expert on Styria. He died on 19 March 1939 in Maribor.