Joseph (Joe) Lucien Pritchett was born in Warren County, Missouri, on July 12, 1858, to William Ira and Martha Ann Hubbard. His older brother was Henry Carr Pritchett, a mathematics professor and the fifth president of Sam Houston Normal Institute (1891-1908).

Joe Pritchett attended Pritchett School Institute in Glasgow, Missouri, a private school founded in 1866 and named after his uncle, Carr Waller Pritchett, the Institute's first principal.

In 1882, he married Lenora (Nora) Melissa Evans from Glidewell, Missouri, at her parent's home. They had six children Willie, Jessie Lee, Frank, Mary, Ella Hubbard, and Kate.

In 1883, they moved to San Marcos, Texas, where Joe became a mathematics professor at Coronal Institue. In 1888, he became a mathematics professor at Sam Houston Normal Institute, and in 1908 was made a Dean by Dr. Harry Fishburne Estill. Joe taught at SHNI for forty-two years.

Joe Pritchett was known as "Professor Joe" amongst members of SHNI. He was known for riding his beloved horse, Ginger, to and from the Institute. He owned much of the property west of the university, including where the Sam Houston Museum, Sam Houston Park, and the Pritchett Field Complex named after Joe.

Professor Joseph (Joe) Lucien Pritchett died on November 5, 1936, after suffering for two years from an illness. His wife, Lenora, died in 1942. They are both buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Texas.