Eugene Monroe Bartlett Sr. (December 24, 1885 – January 25, 1941) was a pivotal figure in the development of Southern gospel music. Born in Waynesville, Missouri, and raised in Sebastian County, Arkansas, Bartlett was educated at the Hall-Moody Institute and William Jewell College. He began his career with the Central Music Company, a shape note music publisher, before co-founding the Hartford Music Company in 1918 with David Moore and John A. McClung. He served as its President until 1935, expanding its reach into Texas and Oklahoma.

In 1921, Bartlett founded the Hartford Music Institute, a shape-note school, and published The Herald of Song, a gospel music magazine. He was instrumental in mentoring Albert E. Brumley, a prominent gospel songwriter. Bartlett was a prolific songwriter, known for gospel classics like "Victory in Jesus," "Everybody Will Be Happy Over There," and "He Will Remember Me." He also wrote the country hit "Take an Old Cold Tater (and Wait)."

Bartlett married Joan Tatum in 1917, and they had two sons. After a stroke in 1939 left him partially paralyzed, he composed "Victory in Jesus," his most beloved hymn. Bartlett passed away in 1941 and was posthumously inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1973. His contributions continue to resonate in the world of gospel music.