John Robertson Clagett was born in Sedalia, Missouri in 1908. He graduated from Washington University Law School and began his career as a lawyer in Kansas City in 1932. In 1938, he joined the law firm of McVey and Clagett. During World War II, Clagett served in the U.S. Army. From November 1944 to March 1946, he was a member of the War Crimes Division in the Office of the Judge Advocate General. He conducted interrogations, collected evidence, and helped prepare cases for prosecution at the trial of the major German war criminals at Nuremberg. Clagett left the Army with the rank of Captain and resumed his career as a private attorney. In 1984, he retired from practice as a senior partner in the firm of Lathrop, Koontz, Righter, Clagett, Parker, and Norquist. Clagett died in 1985.
From the description of Clagett, John Robertson, 1908-1985 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10600918
