John Garrett was a Wesleyan missionary, who served in India, in the Wesleyan Canarese Mission, at the Bangalore Petah. Garrett was a linguist and a scholar of several languages such as Canarese (Kannada), Sanskrit, Tamil, Persian, German and Latin. Garrett is credited with establishing a printing press, the Wesleyan Mission Press, at Bangalore Petah at around 1841. Garett is also credited with founding the Central High School in 1858, and serving as its first principal, which is now the Central College. Garett also held many designated posts in the Department of Public Instruction, under the Mysore State. His most significant contribution to Kannada literature is said to be the very first translation of the Bhagawat Gita into Kannada in 1846.[1][2]