John Bowlby Brattin was born on June 7, 1915 to Elizabeth Hope and Claude Lamar Brattin. Since the age of four, John was a life-long resident of East Lansing, Michigan. After graduating from high school in 1932, John and a friend hitch-hiked across the United States, unable to attend the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles which was the original goal. After returning home, John attended Michigan State College (MSC, now Michigan State University) and graduated in 1936 with his Bachelor’s degree. During his time at MSC, John met his first wife, Alice Jane Knight (MSC graduate 1935), whom he married in 1939. A few months later, John graduated from the University of Michigan with his law degree. Together, John and Alice Jane had seven children. His children affectionately called him “Chetty.” John had his own law practice in East Lansing, worked to help end racism, and protested against the United States involvement in wars. He volunteered his time to several local community organizations, such as the Edgewood United Church, the Lansing Mental Health Center, the East Lansing School Board, the American Friends Service Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He was awarded the Greater Lansing Human Relation award in 1962. An avid traveler, John traveled around the world. He visited all fifty states, all the provinces in Canada, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and more. He was also a collector of stamps and loved playing tennis. John’s first wife, Alice Jane, died in 1983. Three years later in 1986, John married his second wife, Margaret Peisner. John passed away on May 6, 1995.