Joseph William Barnett Jr. (August 4, 1929 – January 5, 2025) was an American politician from the state of Montana.
He was the son of Joseph William and Francis (née Kelly) Barnett, and he was orphaned by the age of eight.
He was raised in Manhattan, and attended Montana State College, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education.
He served in the U.S. Air Force, then was hired by Bozeman High School in 1956 as a history teacher and coach, earned a master's degree in administration from Montana State, and taught until 1984.
[1] In 1990, Barnett ran for the Montana House of Representatives, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Vernon Westlake.