District: 4
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Oklahoma County
Birthplace: Carthage, Tennessee
Spouse: Norma Jo Dougherty Brett
Children: John A. Brett, Jr., and Thomas R. Brett
John A. Brett moved with his family to Cordell, Oklahoma in 1902. John’s father, Rutherford Brett, practiced law and also served as a judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals. After finishing high school in Cordell, he served as an ammunition train sergeant in France during World War I. Following military service he received a degree from Oklahoma Baptist University, taught school, and coached football and track.
Brett worked his way through six years of college, receiving his A. B. degree from O. B. U. in 1922 and his law degree from University of Oklahoma Law School in 1928. While practicing law in Oklahoma City he was chosen an Assistant United States Attorney and later became Chief of Criminal Prosecution for Oklahoma’s Western federal district. As Assistant United States Attorney, he won 966 cases and lost only 14. Brett served on the Court of Criminal Appeals from 1947 to 1963 when he retired and was named a supernumerary judge on the state district court in Oklahoma City.
Judge Brett was a Methodist and taught an adult Sunday School class at St. Luke’s Methodist Church for many years. He was a 33rd degree Mason and an active public speaker. Oklahoma Baptist University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. For 25 years he was a member of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.