Son of US Senator John Norvell of Michigan and Isabella Hodgkiss Freeman Norvell.

John Mason Norvell enlisted soon after the outbreak of the Civil War in the 2d Michigan Volunteer Infantry and became a 2nd Lt. on April 25, 1861. His regiment moved to Washington, and with Richardson's Brigade participated in the battles at Blackburn's Ford and First Bull Run (Manassas) July 17 and 21, 1861. There he acted as Assistant Adjutant General of the Brigade. Upon the expiration of his three months service, on August 30, 1861, he became a Capt and Assistant Adjutant General of Volunteers assigned to the 1st Division, 2d Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. During the war he participated in the Peninsula Campaign, serving at Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, and in the terrible battle of the Seven Days Retreat from the Chickahominy to the James River. For meritorious service, he was promoted to Major on August 22, 1862. He fought in the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. As Chief of Staff of French's 3d Division, 2d Army Corps (later in Gibson's Division) he served through the later battles of the war: Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, the Siege of Petersburg, and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He received the rank of Brevet Lt. Colonel 214 in the campaign ending with the surrender of Lee and resigned from the Volunteers on June 21, 1865.

He became a 1st Lt. in the 31st Infantry on July 28, 1866, and was awarded the rank of Brevet Captain and Major on March 2, 1867, for gallant and meritorious service in the battle of the Wilderness, Virginia. He was unassigned from May 15, 1869 until January 1, 1871 when he was assigned to the 12th Infantry. He was promoted to captain on January 31, 1874 and became Regimental Adjutant on February 7, 1871 until January 17, 1873. He put in for disability on December 29, 1890. During the years before his death he suffered from rheumatism contracted during his frontier service.

He was a Mason and at the time of his death lived with his sister Emily Norvell Walker. He never married.
He was buried with full military honors.