Political and civic leader. A native of Gulfport, Mrs. Barrett graduated from Gulfport High School in 1927. She attended Mississippi State College for Women 1928-29, Gulf Park College 1930, and Jeff Davis Junior College in the 1960s. In 1930, Mrs. Barrett began employment with the Mississippi Power Company, where she worked as the first female floor salesperson until her marriage to William Earl Barrett, Sr. in 1940. Mrs. Barrett became active in civic affairs in 1948, at which time she became active in the Gulfport East Ward Elementary School PTA. She was also involved in activities of the American Red Cross and served both the Gulfport Junior Auxiliary and Gulfport Junior Women's Club as president. She also served the Mississippi Gulf Coast Arts Association, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. She was a member of the Mississippi Coast Chamber of Commerce, Gulfport Yacht Racing Association and a charter member of the Gulfport Study Club, founded in the 1930s. Mrs. Barrett became active in politics in 1963, participating as a worker in the first major statewide campaign since Reconstruction to lect Republicans to the Governor's and Lt. Governor's offices. She once told reporters that she broke form her Democratic roots when stubborn politicians "could have gotten a lot of people killed," when Federal troops had to be called in to desegregate Ole Miss. "Women I'd known all my life wouldn't speak to me when they found out I was a Republican" Mrs. Barrett said in a 1986 interview. "That's the way it was then. But we're a two-party state now." Mrs. Barrett was a charter member of the Harrison County Republican Party and served in the capacities of president and vice-chairperson during her career. She co-chaired the Mississippi Goldwater for President committee in 1964. She co-chaired the Harrison County Republican effort to re-electe the President in 1972. She was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1964 for Goldwater in San Francisco and was an alternative delegate in 1968 for Nixon in Miami, as well as for Bush in New Orleans in 1988. She attended inauguration ceremonies for Presidents Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Mrs. Barrett was involved in several projects to preserve the history of Gulfport. During her time of service in these endeavors Grass Lawn was acquired by the City of Gulfport and was designated as an historic structure on the US Dept of the Interior's National Register of Historical Places and became a public structure open for tours and for hosting social gatherings. In January of 1996, Mrs. Barrett was honored by the Gulfport Rotary Club with its Founders Award and as the William H. Hardy Citizen of the Year for 1995. In April of 1996, the Harrison County Republican Executive Committee recognized Mrs. Barrett for her efforts with its Spirit of America Award.