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|title=Watkins, John T.|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=August 31, 2020}}</ref>

|title=Watkins, John T.|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=August 31, 2020}}</ref>

Watkins attended the public schools in Minden and graduated from the Minden Male Academy, a forerunner of [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]]. He then studied for three years at Cumberland University in Lebanon, [[Tennessee]]. As was then customary, Watkins studied law privately, was admitted to the bar in 1878, and opened his practice in Minden. He was elected judge in 1900 and served in that capacity until 1904. His father, [[Kentucky]] native John Dyer Watkins (1828-1895), was also a judge.<ref>List of District Judges for Webster Parish, ''Webster Parish Centennial Booklet, 1971,'' Webster Parish Police Jury publication.</ref>

Watkins attended the public schools in Minden and graduated from the Minden Male Academy, a forerunner of [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]]. He then studied for three years at Cumberland University in Lebanon, [[Tennessee]]. As was then customary, Watkins studied law privately, was admitted to the bar in 1878, and opened his practice in Minden. He was elected judge in 1900 and served in that capacity until 1904. His father, [[Kentucky]] native [[John D. Watkins]], was also a judge.<ref>List of District Judges for Webster Parish, ''Webster Parish Centennial Booklet, 1971,'' Webster Parish Police Jury publication.</ref>

He briefly resumed his law practice prior to his election to Congress. He defeated incumbent fellow Democrat Phanor Breazeale of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] for re-nomination in 1904 and was seated with the incoming 59th Congress on March 4, 1905, during the administration of [[U.S. President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. In his fourth term, he became the chairman of the House Committee on Revision of the Laws.<ref name=biodirectory>{{cite web|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=W000193|title=Watkins, John Thomas|publisher=''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774- Present''|accessdate=August 31, 2020}}</ref>

He briefly resumed his law practice prior to his election to Congress. He defeated incumbent fellow Democrat Phanor Breazeale of [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]] for re-nomination in 1904 and was seated with the incoming 59th Congress on March 4, 1905, during the administration of [[U.S. President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. In his fourth term, he became the chairman of the House Committee on Revision of the Laws.<ref name=biodirectory>{{cite web|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=W000193|title=Watkins, John Thomas|publisher=''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774- Present''|accessdate=August 31, 2020}}</ref>