Son of Col. Thomas B. Spratt and Eleanor Mason Harris of Fort Mill, John McKee Spratt attended South Carolina Presbyterian College, receiving a B.A. in 1928 and Vanderbilt and Yale Law Schools, where he earned his LL.B. in 1931. He practiced law at York, South Carolina thereafter until his death.
From 1931–42, he was a partner in Finley and Spratt. During World War II, he was an Army Captain, JACC. A sole practitioner for almost 26 years, his son joined him in 1971 in his law office.
In 1934, he married Jane Love Bratton, had one daughter and one son. He was Chairman of the Board of Deacons, and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church.
A founder and President of the Bank of Fort Mill, he had other banking, savings and loan, and insurance interests. He was Fort Mill Town Attorney for 37 years and York County Attorney for 20 years.
He was appointed Special South Carolina Curcuit Judge and was President of the York County Bar; Chairman of the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Bar Association; and President of the South Carolina State Bar. He was a member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference and Chairman of the Election Reform Committee which drafted the 1950 South Carolina Election Law.
A distinguished gentleman incapable of vain-glory, innately honest, keenly intelligent, devoted and loyal to his family, church, profession and friends. This was John Spratt.