He was born in Marietta, Ohio, and attended schools in Marietta and Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Following his graduation from Princeton University with a degree in geological engineering in 1942, he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After the war, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and held various job in farming, ranching, and the oil industry, inheriting ownership of the Tulsa-based Keener Oil and Gas Company from his father, David A. Bartlett. Prior to becoming Governor, he served in the State Senate from 1962 to 1966. He was the first Oklahoma Governor eligible to seek a second term, but was defeated for reelection.

Following his defeat, he served for one term in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 1979 after winning the seat previously held by Democrat Fred R. Harris. He defeated U.S. Congressman Ed Edmondson in the 1972 riding on President Richard Nixon's coattails. During his tenure in Congress, he took a conservative stance on most issues and championed oil and gas interests during the energy crisis of the 1970s. Two months after retiring from the U.S. Senate, he died in Tulsa from complications of lung cancer, and is buried in the city's Calvary Cemetery. His son, Dewey F. Bartlett, Jr. served on the Tulsa City Council from 1990 to 1994, and has inherited the Keener Oil and Gas Company from his father.

Preceded by: Henry Bellmon Governor of Oklahoma 1967-1971 Succeeded by: David Hall Preceded by: Fred Roy Harris United States Senator from Oklahoma 1973-1979 Succeeded by: David Boren